Absence Makes the Heart Grow Softer
by KisaHeart22
Summary: When Peter goes off to the Enchanted Forest for a couple of days, Felix is left all alone in Storybrooke. Felix knows the residents probably just feel bad for him but he does appreciate their efforts at keeping him entertained. He can tolerate all the attention from these annoyingly helpful people for two days, right? … Peter so owed him for this. Panlix.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, love. It's only going to be for two days. I'll be back before you even realize it," the brunette boy was saying, his light blue eyes both sympathetic and delighted at the same time.

The taller blonde standing about a foot away seemed to exude anger. His face was neutral but his body was tense, his lips a thin line and his silver eyes burning.

The brunette grinned and hopped over to him, rising up on his toes a bit in order to run his lips along the other boy's jaw.

"Now, Felix, what's with that look?" He asked, his voice dripping with controlled giddiness as he leaned back to gaze up at the blonde. "Are you mad?"

Felix purposely turned his head to glare at the wall of their little bedroom above Granny's diner. His lips twitched as he fought back the urge to snarl. Of course he was mad! What kind of person waited until the morning of to tell someone they were leaving? If Felix had known the boy would be taking a trip that day, he would have banged Peter even harder last night. Just to make sure he wouldn't be forgetting about Felix anytime soon.

Peter clicked his tongue and shook his head, still fighting back the urge to truly show how happy Felix's agitation was making him.

"See? This is precisely why I waited to tell you about this trip," he continued, raising an eyebrow. "I knew you'd be in a sour mood and the last thing I needed was a dark cloud following me around for a week."

Well, that and Peter didn't want to be limping around for the next two days because of a sore bum. If Peter had told Felix about his trip prior to that morning, he knew Felix would have made absolutely certain that Peter wouldn't be able to forget about him those entire two days he was gone.

Felix felt a sharp twinge of irritation at the thought that Peter had known about this trip for a week and still waited to tell him.

"You know," Peter continued with a smirk, "it's not like we've never been apart. I used to leave you alone with the Lost Boys on Neverland for days at a time. You didn't seem to have much trouble with it then."

But Peter and Felix both knew that was a lie. Felix may have kept up a controlled and uncaring appearance but the two of them knew how truly miserable he was without Peter. His temper always seemed to be that much shorter, his stares that much more vicious and his entire demeanor just that much darker when Peter was gone. And Peter absolutely loved it.

Being in Neverland was one thing. Felix had the Lost Boys to keep his mind occupied with. Storybrooke was a completely different animal entirely though. Felix didn't have anything there besides Peter. Now that the other boy was going to the Enchanted Forest to take care of some "business," Felix would be completely alone.

Felix had never minded being alone in the past but, ever since becoming so close with Peter, he hated the silence being alone brought him. He always missed the mischievous boy's easy chatter and his need to always have Felix close. It kept the blonde from thinking too much.

Peter suddenly heaved a sigh, turning to close the worn, turquoise suitcase resting on their unmade bed.

"I suppose I'll be off then," he stated, turning back to the blonde with that same easy smirk on his lips. "Now, give me a kiss and walk me downstairs."

Peter tilted his head up, eyes closed and lips slightly pursed waiting expectantly. Felix could feel an amused smile tugging at the edges of his mouth and a warmth filling his heart but he quickly forced the feeling away. He was not going to let Peter's cuteness take away from what the boy would be putting him through for the next two days.

He set his jaw hard as he stepped over to Peter, bent down and pecked his lips quickly against the other boy's. Peter's eyes popped open at the chaste kiss and he raised an eyebrow slightly in question. Felix had already turned his face away though, his silver eyes burning once more.

Peter looked at him quizzically for a moment before simply shrugging and turning around to retrieve his suitcase.

"Alright then," he remarked. "Perhaps your grouchiness will wear off once I'm gone and your "desperately-missing-me" stage sets in. You'll be regretting not giving me a better good-bye kiss then, won't you?"

Felix kept his eyes focused on the wall but Peter noticed his resolve quickly slipping at his words. The blonde finally let out a quiet sigh and looked back down at the shorter boy, his eyes filling with a hidden sadness that actually made Peter feel slightly guilty.

Felix slid his arm around Peter's waist, pulling him tight against his body, and leaned down to press their lips firmly together. They lingered like that for several long moments, the kiss deepening with each passing second. Finally, the two broke apart, Felix keeping Peter pressed against his body and their lips lightly grazing each others'. Peter tugged a little at Felix's black shirt, a delighted smirk crossing his face.

"Now, THAT'S a good-bye and I will see you soon kiss," he remarked quite pleased, pulling from Felix's hold and shifting the suitcase around in his hand. "I believe I'm good to go now. Try not to be too depressing while I'm gone. Who knows! Maybe you'll find someone to keep you entertained... But not TOO entertained." Peter's expression suddenly grew threatening as his eyes flashed venomously at Felix.

Felix simply gave him a pathetically sad, tiny smile. Felix knew he would just lock himself up in their room and mope until Peter returned. And Peter grinned back at the blonde because he knew it too. Felix's desperate need for Peter always made him so incredibly happy. Of course Peter missed Felix dearly whenever they were apart but he loved how the absence would drive Felix crazy for him.

Peter sauntered over to the door, tugging his dark green coat on and then pulling the door open. Felix followed closely behind as the two made their way down the old, wooden staircase and out to the diner abuzz with morning customers. Peter stopped at the front door and turned to flash Felix a little smile.

"I can walk you to the ship," Felix quickly said, suddenly feeling a pang of loneliness at the thought of Peter leaving him so soon.

Peter's smile was sympathetic for only a brief moment before suddenly turning sly as he stepped forward and grasped onto Felix's chin.

"Aw, don't tell me you're missing me already," he crooned, shaking Felix's chin slightly with affection.

Felix scoffed a little but his silver eyes were sad as they bored into Peter's. Peter suddenly cut his eyes over to the front door very briefly and then smiled more warmly up at the boy, tugging his head down a bit in order to press a light kiss against his lips.

"You'll be fine," he murmured assuredly, gazing into Felix's eyes for a moment longer.

"You owe me for this," Felix responded quietly. His voice was a low growl but his eyes held none of the threat.

"And I intend to repay my debt when I return," Peter responded, his lips quirking into a sly smirk and his eyes dancing mischievously.

He released his hold on Felix's chin and turned to push open the door. He flashed Felix one last assuring smile before heading off down the sidewalk towards the shipyard.

Felix felt his heart constrict with pain as he watched Peter disappear into the distance. He just stood there for several long moments, barely noticing the hum of conversation from the diner's customers. He let out a slightly shaky breath and was just about to head back to the staircase when the front door suddenly swung open.


	2. First Impressions

The twelve year-old brunette boy known as Henry stepped through the doorway wearing a dark blue winter coat, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. He looked up at Felix in surprise before glancing down the sidewalk in the direction the blonde had been staring.

"I guess he really did leave you alone, huh?" Henry asked, turning his head back around to give Felix a sympathetic and uncertain expression. He had never seen Felix without Peter and he wasn't really sure how the blonde would react to not having the other boy around. They always seemed to be attached at the hip just like his grandparents Snow and Charming.

Felix simply nodded his head absentmindedly, still gazing down the sidewalk. His eyebrows suddenly scrunched together in confusion as he tore his gaze away and locked it onto Henry. How did he know about Peter leaving?

Henry refused to meet Felix's gaze. Instead, he looked around the diner and pulled his hand out of his coat pocket to rub at the back of his neck uncomfortably. A nervous habit he had picked up from his mother Emma. He finally turned his brown eyes back onto Felix and gave him an awkward half smile.

"So... uh... Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Felix shook his head a little, still watching the boy with a quizzical gaze.

Henry's body immediately relaxed as he dropped his hand to his side and smiled openly at the blonde.

"Cool. We can eat together then," he said, already moving past him and heading for a booth towards the back of the restaurant.

Felix didn't really understand why Henry was offering to eat with him. They hadn't spoken to each other since Peter was using his body as a vessel when they first arrived in Storybrooke. Even then, it wasn't like Felix had actually been talking to Henry himself. On Neverland, Felix had simply viewed Henry as a hog waiting to be slaughtered, so he never made much of an effort to get to know the young boy there either. He couldn't imagine why Henry was suddenly speaking with him now. It's not like they would have much to talk about.

Regardless, Felix obediently followed him to the back of the diner, taking the seat across from him. Henry had already opened the menu that had been lying on the table in front of him and was skimming the breakfast section.

Felix opened his menu as well and briefly looked over it before glancing back up at Henry. Not that he could see the boy since Henry's menu was blocking his face.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Felix finally asked after a moment, his eyes filling with suspicion.

Henry tilted his menu towards Felix a little in order to see over it, his wide eyes growing just a little wider in surprise. He glanced off to the side briefly before shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. I just thought you might be kinda lonely without Peter. I mean, you two are always together. It must be weird not having him around."

Felix glanced back down at his menu, hoping the sudden pain that wrenched through his heart wouldn't show in his eyes.

"A little," he allowed, looking back up at Henry with an emotionless expression.

Henry flashed him a tiny, sympathetic smile before tilting his menu back up in front of his face.

Felix didn't really know what to make of the situation. When he said he had only ever viewed Henry as a hog waiting to be slaughtered, that wasn't entirely accurate. His feelings towards the young boy were a bit more than mere indifference. On Neverland, he had actually disliked Henry. A lot. To be honest, he had hated the kid and his feelings hadn't changed much in Storybrooke. Felix was bad about holding grudges.

He supposed what had sparked all the bad blood was how much of Peter's attention Henry had consumed on the island. Felix could easily be just as possessive as Peter and the fact that the younger boy had gotten so much of Peter's attention made him burn with jealousy. Of course, Peter had enjoyed that.

The worst part was that Henry just brushed off everything the Neverland ruler did for him without a second thought just because of his family. The boy had always struck Felix as being incredibly naive and dense. Stupidity was the one thing Felix absolutely couldn't stand. Peter was everything and it had infuriated him to no end when the young boy couldn't see that. Felix supposed it didn't really matter now. Without Henry, Peter wouldn't still be alive, so he had proved useful for something in the end.

Felix just looked at his menu for a moment as he thought. He guessed it wouldn't hurt to get a fresh start with the boy. Peter no longer even gave Henry a passing glance, so Felix's jealousy had pretty much burned out. Besides, the young boy was being surprisingly nice to him all of a sudden.

Felix glanced back up at the menu across from him and cleared his throat a little.

"Did you want to... do something after breakfast?" He asked, his voice sounding awkward and uncertain even to his own ears.

Henry lowered his menu once more in order to raise a slightly disbelieving eyebrow at the older boy. He suddenly glanced off to the side in discomfort before looking back at Felix with a bit of a wince.

"Uh... No offense but it might look kinda weird for you and me to be hanging out. You know. Because you're, like, thirty."

Felix smirked a little at the boy.

"I'm nineteen," he corrected. "But I see your point."

Henry smiled and shrugged before tilting his menu back up. After a few moments though, he lowered it once again to glance over the top of it at the older boy. He suddenly felt a twinge of guilt when he noticed Felix glance up at the front door of the diner, a slightly saddened look coming to his otherwise emotionless grey eyes. Henry remembered what Peter had said to him a few days ago and knew he couldn't just leave the older male alone.

"Hey, there!" A voice suddenly greeted the two.

Felix and Henry both looked up at the brunette woman standing beside their table. Her brown eyes were warm and her dark red lips were quirked upwards into a smile that quickly turned sad when her eyes fell upon Felix.

"Dude, where's your other half? I don't smell him over here," the woman said, sniffing the air loudly a few times before shaking her head. "Nope. Just you."

Felix grimaced slightly at the girl's strange behavior.

"He's on a trip for two days," he responded, keeping his voice even.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that!" The woman exclaimed, her eyes suddenly turning confused as she leaned a hand on the edge of the table. "So, wait. He REALLY left you all alone? For two whole days?"

It was Felix's turn to look confused. How had both the waitress and Henry known about Peter's trip?

"Uh, Ruby," Henry's voice suddenly broke in.

Ruby and Felix looked over to see the young boy giving the woman a tiny, forced smile.

"Would it be okay if Felix hung out here with you? Maybe he could help wait on customers or something. You know. So he won't get too lonely."

Felix raised a slightly displeased eyebrow. He didn't enjoy being around a lot of people and the diner was swarming with strangers. He didn't really appreciate having someone offer him up for work either but he guessed helping out at the diner would keep his mind off of Peter.

"Oh, sure! That would be awesome!" Ruby exclaimed, flashing a smile at Felix. "I'll have to ask Granny about it but I bet she'd be really grateful for the help. The restaurant's been especially busy lately. Besides, this will help keep you occupied so you won't think about Peter. Time flies when you're working hard!"

Felix was pretty sure that wasn't how the saying went but he simply smiled a little back.

"Let me get your orders and then I'll go talk to Granny," Ruby continued, pulling out a pen and a pad. "I'll get you an apron once you've finished eating. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

And it was fun... for the first two minutes. After a few hours though, Felix had quickly discovered that customers couldn't hear him because he mumbled and he had zero coordination in the cramped space of the diner. After the fourth trey of food ended up on some poor man's fancy dress shirt and pants, Granny shooed Felix out the door with a sharp whack to the butt with her broom.

"But, Granny! He's gonna get lonely! Remember what Peter said-"

"I don't care what Peter said!" The elderly woman's harsh tone quickly overpowered Ruby's pleading words. "That boy has done nothing but cause trouble! He can find somebody else to watch him because he's not staying here!"

Felix merely stood outside of the diner in the high noon sun considering what the two women had said. Peter must have spoken to them about keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't get too depressed. His lips quirked upwards a little at the thought of Peter actually being concerned enough to go to people he couldn't stand for help.

He turned slightly when he heard the diner's front door squeak open. Ruby was shooting a frown over her shoulder at the elderly woman as she came to stand beside Felix. Her brown eyes were apologetic as she looked up at the boy.

"Sorry about that," she said with a sigh. "Granny can be difficult to please."

Felix smirked a little in amusement because Peter could easily be just as difficult at times.

"So, hey," Ruby suddenly shrugged with a forced grin. "Being a waiter isn't your thing! That's no big deal. I'm sure you can find something else to do."

Felix quirked an eyebrow at her. What exactly was there to do in the little town? Peter had often wanted to explore the abandoned buildings in the town square but Felix didn't feel very adventurous without the other boy at his side.

Ruby scrunched her eyebrows together in thought as if reading the blonde's mind. She looked up and down Main Street for a minute when her eyes suddenly fell upon the old library down at the end. She whipped her head back around to smile more openly at Felix.

"Hey! Maybe you could hang out with Belle! She's seemed a little down in the dumps lately. I bet she would really appreciate the company. Just try not to knock over any of the shelves and you'll be fine." She flashed him a teasing grin.

Felix remembered how annoyed Belle had been the last time he and Peter had visited her and didn't think she would appreciate his company at all. Peter always enjoyed playing tricks on the librarian and the last one had gotten them both promptly thrown out with Belle yelling that they were officially banned from ever setting foot in there again. Felix smirked a little at the memory and figured he didn't have much to lose.

He removed the apron and handed it back to Ruby, quietly thanking her and heading on towards the library.


	3. Of Books and Men

Felix gently pushed open one of the double doors on the old building and glanced around at the dimly lit, spacious room lined with rows upon rows of books. The front desk at the back where Belle usually sat reading was surprisingly empty. Perhaps she was taking a lunch break.

Felix stepped into the library and quietly eased the door shut behind him, trying not to make too much noise. He walked over to one of the shelves in the corner to his right and skimmed the spines of the books. He couldn't understand most of the titles though and merely squinted at them.

Because of the time period and the home Felix had grown up in, he hadn't been taught to read very much. He had worked out in the fields with the other boys and that's where he would always be, so there was hardly any need for him to know how to read. He could understand simple words and phrases but anything longer than four letters made his head hurt. That was why Peter was always the one to read out loud the books they borrowed. Peter had tried to help Felix with his reading skills at one point but the Neverland ruler was much too impatient to make a good teacher and ended up just frustrating the both of them. Since then, Peter had done all the reading for Felix and the blonde was happy with that.

He had done okay by himself at the diner that morning because the menu had pictures beside all the dishes but the library was different. It was filled with nothing but long words he couldn't understand.

Felix's heart ached with the sudden reminder of how much he needed Peter. Felix wouldn't be standing there squinting at words he couldn't read if Peter was there. Peter would have grabbed books off the shelf, skimmed through them and picked out the one that sounded the most interesting. Then he and Felix would curl up together somewhere quiet and Peter would read at least the first chapter to him before suddenly complaining about how horrendous the book already was shaping up to be and promptly going to fetch a different one. Felix couldn't remember the last book the two boys had actually finished.

"Oh, god!" A voice suddenly exclaimed from beside him in shock, a loud bang echoing through the building.

Felix looked over to see the brunette librarian staring at him with wide eyes, her hands clutched to her chest and a book lying at her feet.

They just stared at each other for several moments as the woman's heart rate slowly began to lower. She let out a slightly aggravated huff as she studied the blonde.

"God, Felix. You scared me," she breathed out, bending down to retrieve her book before eyeing him quizzically.

"I didn't hear you come in. How long have you been here?" She asked.

Felix wasn't sure how long he had been there, actually. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes. He shrugged a little.

"A few minutes?" He offered.

Belle studied him for another moment, one eyebrow rising curiously.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her eyes suddenly widening as she whipped her head around. "Where's Peter? You two are still banned! Get out!"

Felix smirked a little in amusement.

"He's gone," he replied simply.

"For good?" Belle asked, her voice sounding a little too hopeful.

Felix raised an eyebrow at her.

"For two days."

"Oh, right. His trip. I forgot about that," the woman grumbled in disappointment, looking off to the side.

Felix scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, beginning to feel a little hurt. Peter had even told Belle about his trip? Why hadn't he told Felix?

There was a long moment of silence when Belle suddenly looked back up at the blonde.

"Wait. So... you're by yourself?" Her eyes were suspicious but slightly hopeful again.

Felix nodded his head.

Belle studied him for a minute as if considering something. Finally, the suspicion seeped from her features as she softened a little.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" She asked kindly. "I was just about to make myself a sandwich. I can make you one as well if you'd like."

Felix hadn't paid much attention to it at the diner because he was kept so busy but he was feeling pretty hungry. He hadn't eaten much breakfast since the food wasn't nearly as good as Peter's cooking. He smiled a little at the woman and nodded.

Belle grinned warmly up at him in return.

"Wonderful! The kitchen's right this way."

After Belle had finished making them each a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pouring them glasses of apple juice, they sat at her desk eating. Belle in her usual spot behind it while Felix sat off to the side.

The woman asked Felix how he was doing without Peter around. Felix said he was doing alright, not that he had been given much time to think about Peter's absence. Belle thought that was good. Staying busy would keep his mind occupied and help time go by faster. She asked him a few more questions which Felix answered to the best of his knowledge. After that the two just ate in a comfortable silence for several minutes.

Felix suddenly glanced over at the pale purple book lying at the other end of the desk. It had a picture of a shirtless, rugged looking man and a blonde woman embracing on the cover surrounded by roses. He raised an eyebrow at it quizzically. Felix had never seen a book with a cover like that before.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

Belle looked at him with a bit of confusion before glancing over at the book lying on her desk.

"Oh!" She exclaimed with a smile, dabbing at her lips with a napkin and picking up the book. "This is "Lost in Mountain's Pass." It's a romance story about this young woman that goes to visit her ailing mother out in the country and gets lost out in these rugged hills. She ends up meeting this wild cowboy that helps her find her mother's house. They have all sorts of steamy nights together while they're out in the country. It's one of my favorites." Belle sighed a little, clutching the book to her chest.

Her eyes suddenly popped open with realization as she turned a firm glare onto the boy beside her, pointing her finger accusingly.

"If you tell anyone I read stories like this, I'll hang you out to dry," she threatened.

Felix smirked a little in amusement, taking the last swig of his apple juice before shaking his head in a silent promise. Why should he, or anyone else for that matter, care what kind of books the young woman read? To be honest, the story had sounded interesting to Felix as well. Not that he would admit to it.

Belle studied him for a few more moments before finally relaxing enough to turn back around in her seat.

"Good," she stated, suddenly reaching down and pulling up a large, folded piece of paper with an image of an old mansion on the front of it. "I usually put this "Jane Eyre" cover over the book but I haven't seen much use in doing that lately since nobody ever comes in." She sighed a little as she folded the paper around the book's cover and then popped the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth.

"Oh, that reminds me," she said, holding the napkin in front of her mouth as she chewed. "Could you do me a favor? A shipment of new books came in a few days ago. The box is in the back room. It's very heavy. Would you mind bringing it out here for me? I need to sort through and label the books and then put them on the shelves."

"Sure," Felix said with a nod, standing with his empty plate and glass. Belle had been very kind to him, so he figured this was the least he could do to repay her.

He dropped his dishes off in the kitchen sink before following the young woman to the storage room in the back of the library. The box wasn't nearly as heavy as Belle made it out to be and Felix easily lifted it from the floor and made his way over to her desk.

"Oh, thank you, Felix!" Belle gushed as she walked with him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I didn't want to say anything to Rumple because he would have tried to move it himself and... Well, you know, he's not that young. He's thrown his back out a few times trying to lift things for me." Belle winced at the memories. "Definitely not pleasant."

Felix fought back a wicked smirk at the thought of Rumplestiltskin paralyzed in pain. Now, THAT was something Felix would have loved to see.

He sat the box down onto the desk as Belle quickly ripped open the top. She let out a dreamy sigh as she pulled a shiny, black book with gold letters on the cover from the box. The woman gazed at it lovingly for a moment before gingerly placing it on her desk and then reaching in to pull out a shiny green one next.

"Oh, I just love new books," she sighed, flipping through the book's crisp pages. "Almost as much as I love old books. They smell so wonderful."

Belle held the open book up to her nose and breathed in deeply, letting out another breathy sigh. She suddenly looked over at Felix who was watching her with a quirked eyebrow in amusement. Belle grinned and held the book out to him.

"Here, Felix. Take a whiff of that," she insisted.

Felix's brows scrunched together with a bit of uncertainty as he took the book from her hands and just looked at it for a moment. He held it up to his nose and breathed in a little. Felix supposed it smelled okay, though he didn't really understand the excitement over it.

"THAT is the smell of adventure, fantasy, romance, and drama all rolled into one!" Belle gushed, taking the book back from the blonde and giving it another loud sniff.

Felix had to force himself not to chuckle at the woman's silliness. He had been on numerous adventures with Peter over the years and he didn't recall any of them smelling quite like that.

Belle carefully sat the book down on top of the first one and was reaching into the box for another when her eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh, Felix," she said, looking at the boy with a smile. "You've been such good company for me today, why don't you take first dibs on these new books? You can look through this box and keep the one you like the most. But you have to promise to let me read it if it's any good."

Felix was surprised by Belle's generosity but he glanced away a bit uncomfortably.

"I can't read," he admitted reluctantly after a few moments.

Belle's body immediately froze, her eyes widening in shock and her mouth dropping open a little as she stared at the boy.

"At all?" She gasped.

Felix shrugged a little, averting his gaze once more. He could feel his cheeks beginning to tinge with embarrassment. Was it really that strange?

"I can understand simple words. Peter usually does the reading for both of us," he replied with a slight smirk.

Belle continued to stare at the taller boy for a long moment. She couldn't believe somebody Felix's age didn't know how to read. No matter what time period he was from, everyone should know how to read.

"Oh, honey. That simply won't do," Belle stated, concern lacing her voice. "You need to know how to read. Peter can't be with you ALL the time. I mean, look where you are right now!"

Belle furrowed her brows in thought for a moment before suddenly smiling up at Felix.

"I'll just have to teach you," she said with delight.

Felix frowned a little at the memories of Peter's attempts at teaching him to read. He shook his head about to decline but Belle wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm a librarian," she quickly continued, giving the boy a firm look. "It's my job to make sure everyone can enjoy books as much as I do." She paused for a moment. "You know, I don't think you or Peter know this but I actually taught Rumple how to read and, trust me, he's no easy student. Old dogs, new tricks. You know how that goes." Belle giggled a little at the joke and Felix actually smiled in amusement.

"You're still very young," she continued, waving her hand through the air dismissively. "You won't have any trouble picking it up, I'm sure. You seem like you've got a good, solid head on your shoulders. You'll do fine. Now, let's get these unloaded so I can label them and then you can stick them on their proper shelves for me."


	4. Old Dogs Die Hard

It was late that afternoon going on twilight when the door to the library creaked open. Felix was busy placing books on a shelf and Belle was seated at her desk chattering away about a story she had read when she was a little girl that had really inspired her. She suddenly stopped mid-sentence though and pushed up from her seat, heading right down the aisle to the person that had just walked in.

Felix paused with a couple of books in his hands and peeked around the edge of the bookshelf he was currently standing behind curiously. He felt his eyes narrow and his lips twitch into a vicious snarl at the sight of the older man with a black cane walking slowly up the aisle with Belle clinging to him. The woman was grinning happily, saying something and staring up at the man with a loving expression. He was gazing down at her with the same warmth filling his own eyes. Felix rolled his and leaned back behind the shelf.

As the two passed by where Felix was standing, the blonde glanced over just as the man was looking up at him. Their eyes collided and the man immediately halted. Surprise filled his gaze first, then confusion and, finally, a resentful anger that ran deep into his soul. Tension permeated the air as a snarl that perfectly matched Felix's earlier one formed on the man's lips.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" He demanded of Belle, his eyes staying locked with Felix's.

Belle glanced between the two, furrowing her brows in confusion at the suddenly tense atmosphere.

"Peter's gone for a couple of days, so I was watching him," she began but was quickly interrupted.

"Watching him?" The man scoffed, his eyes flashing with disgust at the blonde. "What? Is he a dog that needs to be looked after? Pan's little pet can't take care of himself?"

Felix resisted the urge to growl, to show him just what kind of a dog he was dealing with.

"Rumple," Belle scolded firmly, lightly slapping the man's arm. "Don't talk that way about him. You know I didn't mean it like that. Felix kept me company today and even helped me sort some new books. He was very helpful to me. ... And you," she quickly added, glaring up at the man. "If Felix hadn't been here, you would've had to lift a heavy box and probably would've thrown out your back again."

"Pity I was here," Felix remarked, turning slightly to stare Rumple down more easily, a tiny smirk crossing his lips.

Rumple's eyes narrowed even further as the snarl on his face deepened. The man hated Felix just as much as the boy hated him. Even though they weren't on Neverland anymore, Rumple knew they would never get over their resentment towards one another. Peter had put way too much bad blood between them.

Belle glanced between the two males once again, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"What's going on with you two?" She asked curiously after a moment.

"Why don't you ask the young lad," Rumple bit out, his eyes narrowed.

"It must be so hard living with the knowledge that your own father chose another man over you," Felix drawled, his smirk growing a little.

Rumple's snarl melted into a wicked sneer as he chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose you won when he tore out your heart for that curse and then crushed it into dust, just standing there watching as you crumpled before him, gasping out your last breathes. That must've been a real shining moment for you two in whatever psychotic relationship you have. He wasn't choosing you, laddie. He was choosing himself and power."

Felix shook his head, scoffing a little at the man's words.

"Yet, here I stand," Felix remarked, meeting Rumple's stare once more. "Peter always gets what he wants."

It was Rumple's turn to scoff.

"Well, his plan to take over Storybrooke and make us all his slaves certainly didn't prevail."

"Like I said," Felix drawled with that same easy smirk still planted firmly in place, "Peter ALWAYS gets what he wants."

And Rumple could hear the words the boy wasn't saying loud and clear. What Peter wanted more than the curse, more than power, more than Rumple... was Felix.

Rumple could feel his body beginning to shudder with anger. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the floor with the blonde's infuriating smirk. Belle's voice suddenly broke into his murderous thoughts.

"That's enough," she said firmly, glaring up at Rumple and then at Felix. "From both of you. I don't know what kind of history you two have but clearly there are things that need to be resolved. Not just between you two but with Peter as well. I don't think a trip to Mr. Cricket's counseling office would hurt."

"Counseling won't help us, love," Rumple growled fiercely through clenched teeth as he and Felix continued to stare each other down.

"Well, like it or not, we're all going to be family eventually," Belle snapped. She suddenly reached up and tugged Rumple's chin down, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Peter is always going to be your father and Felix is going to be your step-father." Rumple groaned at the woman's words, grimacing in disgust.

"Don't give me that look," Belle continued sternly. "You know it's true. No matter how much you try and deny it. Peter loves Felix and I know that deep down he loves you as well, Rumple."

Felix suddenly scoffed at the woman's naive words. Peter hated his son just as much as Felix did. That wasn't getting changed any time soon.

Belle shot the boy a look before turning back to Rumple.

"The sooner you all get these issues you have with each other resolved, the happier everyone will be. Now, apologize."

Rumple and Felix's eyes widened a little surprise as they looked at the woman.

"What?" Rumple chocked out in disbelief.

"You heard me," Belle growled.

"Belle, I don't think that's-" Rumple stumbled out but was quickly cut off by Felix's firm tone.

"I don't need an apology," he stated, lying the books in his hand down onto the shelf before looking back up at Belle and Rumple. "I need to be going."

He stepped forward, shooting one last wicked little smirk at the man.

"This was fun, sonny. We should do it again sometime," he drawled, snickering a little at the way Rumple's lips twitched, fighting back a snarl.

Felix dipped his head ever so slightly to Belle and then casually walked down the aisle between the rows of books to the front door. Felix thought he could hear Rumple cursing behind him but he simply smiled pleasantly to himself and pushed open the front door.


	5. When it Snows, it Pours

Felix was momentarily caught off guard by the blonde woman that almost crashed right into him. She startled a bit, not expecting the library door to suddenly open.

"Good god, Felix. You scared me," she breathed out, eyeing him with a bit of suspicion. She was wearing a red knit cap and a perfectly matching red winter coat. Her long, blonde hair hung down past her shoulders and her blue eyes glinted brightly in the dim, evening light. She looked next to nothing like her son.

The two just studied each other for a moment as the library door shut heavily behind Felix. The woman pulled her hand out of her coat pocket and rubbed at the back of her neck with a black gloved hand, glancing at the ground with discomfort. The action reminded Felix of Henry's earlier behavior that day.

"So, uh, I went by the diner and Ruby said you were over here," she began, hedging a glance back up at Felix. "I thought you might be kind of lonely up in that room by yourself all night so, you know, you're welcome to stay with us if you want."

Felix cocked an eyebrow slightly at the woman, feeling a twinge of annoyance. Emma was, yet, another person Felix had never particularly cared for. He didn't hate her as strongly as he did Rumple, like hating someone more than that man was even possible, but she had always rubbed him the wrong way. She was naive, just like her son, and had this nasty habit of working against Peter. She was the reason Felix and Peter were no longer on Neverland, no longer had control over the Lost Boys or anything for that matter. Felix still viewed her as an enemy and he always would. The absolute last thing Felix wanted to do was spend the night with her disgustingly optimistic little family. He would take his lonely room over that any day.

"No, thanks," Felix finally responded coldly, his face emotionless.

Emma tilted her head a little at the boy, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion.

"You okay, kid?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. "You seem a little worked up."

"I'm fine," Felix stated sharply, meeting her gaze. He wanted to sneer at her for pretending to be so worried about him.

Emma studied the boy for a moment.

"Wow, you must really miss him, huh?" She asked, her voice sounding a bit surprised but also sympathetic.

So, she thought Felix's agitation was because he was lonely without Peter. Felix felt himself smirk a little at the thought.

"Listen, kid," Emma began, rubbing at her neck again. "I know it doesn't seem like it now but he'll be back really soon. Moping up in your room isn't healthy and it's not going to make time go by any faster." She paused for a moment. "At least let us feed you. You haven't eaten dinner yet, right? Come on. You're not gonna turn down a home cooked meal, are you?"

She forced a smile up at him, uncertain about how the boy would react to her offer. Felix glanced off to the side, beginning to feel unsure about his initial plans to completely avoid the group altogether.

"I promise, I didn't touch any of it," Emma said, holding a hand up and smiling more openly at Felix. "Have you ever had Mary-Margaret's cooking? If not, then you're definitely coming over."

Felix didn't respond as he glanced back down at the woman. Emma's smile faded at the hard line of the boy's lips and she sighed a little in defeat.

"Okay, look, kid. I wasn't going to say anything before because he made us promise not to but Peter came to us asking if we would kind of look after you while he was gone. You know. Make sure you weren't getting too depressed or anything. I know how... devoted you are to Peter, so if you want to make him happy then... then you're just gonna have to put up with us tonight."

Emma's eyes flashed with determination as she bought into her own words. She actually looked slightly proud of herself for making it sound like Felix would be obeying Peter's wishes by coming with her. Surely the kid wouldn't refuse that.

Felix raised an eyebrow at the blonde. Admittedly, he was a little surprised Peter had gone so far as to ask Emma and her annoying group for assistance. Was he really that concerned about Felix getting lonely? It seemed like Peter had spoken to pretty much everyone about him.

Felix remembered Peter's gentle words right before they had parted at the diner's front door early that morning. It seemed like such a long time ago.

"You'll be fine," he had murmured with assurance.

And he knew for a fact Felix would be okay because he had personally made sure that he would be. The residents of Storybrooke may have disliked Peter immensely but Felix was different. Felix was the person that made the demented ruler seem almost human. Peter ended up choosing Felix over his own selfish desires for power and his concern over the boy now had surely pulled at the citizen's heartstrings. Love could change the heart of even the most wicked villain. If Peter could find it in his heart to love someone that much, then they could surely find it in their hearts to forgive and forget.

Besides, Felix was quiet and obedient, a lovestruck puppy that had given his very life for his true love. The fairytale townspeople understood that kind of crazy devotion and viewed Felix as something of an equal. Of course they wouldn't want him to suffer.

Felix studied the woman's firm gaze and breathed out quietly through his nose. There was no sense in fighting it. Emma was persistent, after all.

He licked his lips and then nodded his head once in resignation.

"Alright," he murmured, forcing a very tiny smile.

Emma grinned warmly up at him.

"Atta boy," she said, patting his shoulder lightly. "Come on. Let's get going. It's freezing out here."

The two had walked in silence to the old apartment building Emma, Henry and her parents were currently living in. Neither Emma nor Felix had ever been very good at carrying conversations.

As the two plodded up the stairs to Emma's apartment number, they began to hear bits of conversation coming from behind the wooden door. They both immediately recognized a woman's voice and Emma let out a heavy sigh as she pulled out her keys.

"David, what are you doing?" The woman demanded in a panicked tone.

There was a short pause before a man's voice answered uncertainly.

"I was setting the table?"

"You're putting forks down," the woman accused. "What if Felix doesn't know how to use a fork? Huh? You're gonna make him feel uncomfortable. He's gonna think we think we're better than him."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" The man asked, sounding a little exasperated. Clearly, this wasn't the first time the woman had overreacted about something that evening.

"I don't know. Just... just don't put any silverware down," she continued in a frenzy.

There was another pause.

"We're going to eat pasta with our hands?" The man asked in disbelief.

"Cool," another voice piped in with delight.

"Pasta!" The woman suddenly exclaimed. "Why did I make pasta?! Felix probably doesn't even know what that is! I'm so stupid!"

"Honey, I'm sure Felix will be fine," the man soothed.

"I just want him to feel comfortable here," she continued with a sigh. "He must be suffering tremendously without Peter around. I don't want him feeling even worse because of something we did..." She paused suddenly. "David, what are you doing?"

"I'm putting down napkins?" The man asked hesitantly.

"You can't put down napkins!" The woman exclaimed, her voice elevating with panic again. "Do you think they had napkins in Neverland? No!"

"Snow, honey, we're eating with our hands. What are we supposed to wipe them off on?"

"Our shirts," she responded firmly.

"W-what?" The man choked out in shock.

Emma suddenly jiggled the key in the door's lock unnecessarily loud.

"Shoot! They're here!" The woman exclaimed. "Everyone smile and be happy! But not too happy! We don't want Felix to feel like he can't be upset over Peter's absence. Which reminds me! Nobody mention Peter!"

Emma pushed open the door and frowned in exasperation when she saw the short-haired, brunette woman and her husband standing awkwardly in the middle of the room grinning innocently at them. Henry was right beside them smiling as well.

"You guys do realize that door isn't soundproof, right?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow at the scene, stepping off to the side so Felix could walk into the room.

David's smile fell but Snow simply stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Felix's middle in a tight squeeze. Felix just stood there rather awkwardly, unsure how to handle the sudden contact.

Snow stepped back in order to gaze up at the tall boy affectionately, keeping her hands locked on his arms.

"We're so happy you're here, Felix," she stated with sincerity. "I just want you to know that if you feel like crying, you go right ahead. That is perfectly okay. We're here for you and we will do everything in our power to make you feel at home."

Emma rolled her eyes and David let out a quiet sigh. Felix glanced away from the woman in discomfort before forcing the edges of his lips upwards a bit.

"Thanks," he responded awkwardly.

Snow's smile widened with joy.

"So, are we ready to eat?" Emma asked, trying to steer the conversation into a less uncomfortable direction.

"Oh, yes!" Snow exclaimed, turning to smile at the blonde woman. "We were just waiting on you two." She suddenly looked back up at Felix, grasping onto his hand. "You can sit by me, sweetheart."

Felix was a little confused by the brunette woman's domestic demeanor as she led him over to the wooden table near the kitchen. Snow had seemed like such a warrior on Neverland, so determined to get her grandson back. Here in Storybrooke, she struck Felix as being a rather normal, motherly woman. He wasn't quite sure yet which Snow he felt the least amount of distaste for.

Felix sat down on one of the wooden chairs at the table as Snow walked over to the kitchen counters to fetch a large bowl of bow tie pasta, a salad and a basket of breadsticks. Emma and Henry sat down at the table as well while David helped Snow carry some of the bowls.

David seated himself beside Emma as Snow walked over to the other side of the table. She pulled her chair out but then suddenly remembered something and scurried back over to the kitchen counter. She picked up a glass bowl of fruit that had initially been the table's center piece and set it down with a smile beside Felix.

"I noticed you boys ate a lot of fruit on Neverland," she said warmly, finally taking her seat between him and Emma. Felix raised an eyebrow at the bowl momentarily before forcing a tiny smile at the woman. Emma and David exchanged weary looks.

"Alright then. Let's dig in!" Snow exclaimed happily.

Everyone just sat there in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, unsure about what to do. Felix glanced around the table, not seeing any spoons or forks or even knives to get the food with. The table had been set with simple glasses of water and white plates.

Snow's smile had fallen ever so slightly but she quickly replaced it when she caught Felix's eye. She reached across her plate for the bowl of pasta and carefully tipped it over a little so some of it would spill out onto her plate. She leaned over and poured some out onto Felix's plate as well before holding the bowl out to Emma.

"Alright, this is ridiculous," Emma said, taking the bowl from Snow and setting it down on the table. "Felix isn't going to be offended if we use silverware."

"Emma," Snow scolded firmly, giving her daughter a warning look.

Felix glanced over to Henry who was seated at his other side. The boy had already grabbed a handful of salad and was munching happily on a breadstick. He was clearly enjoying being able to eat with his hands for once. Felix smirked a little in amusement as the two women continued to argue.

"We're making Felix feel comfortable," Snow was saying evenly.

"This isn't making him comfortable," Emma argued back. "I distinctly remember seeing plates and forks in the Lost Boys' camp. If anything, this is making him feel more uncomfortable." Emma suddenly stood from her chair.

"Emma, you sit down right this minute," Snow ordered, glaring up at her daughter.

"I'm getting a fork," Emma replied firmly before looking across the table at the blonde male. "Do you want one too, Felix?"

Felix looked up at her with a bit of surprise at suddenly being addressed. He could feel Snow's eyes burning into him, the two women waiting for the boy to pick a side. Felix was actually unsure about what to do. He had been on Neverland with nothing but other boys for so long, suddenly being thrown in the middle of a women's argument was quite unnerving to him. In all honesty, he did want a fork but he certainly didn't want to upset the brunette woman beside him. He wasn't quite sure what she would do if angered.

He glanced across the table at David for some sort of signal. Their eyes instantly locked and the man quickly noticed the uncertainty and, possibly, a hint of fear behind Felix's silver orbs. David sighed a little to himself, suddenly feeling his heart tug with sympathy for the poor boy. He had been with Peter and those other boys for so long, he clearly didn't know the first thing about dealing with women.

David suddenly cleared his throat and got to his feet. He'd much rather take the brunt of Snow's displeasure than let the boy suffer. Snow and Emma's eyes locked onto the man instantly.

"I'll get us all forks," David said, trying to make his voice sound firm in the face of Snow's burning gaze.

"I don't want one," Henry said with a smile, picking up a carrot off his plate and popping it into his mouth.

Snow watched David with a vicious glare as he walked over to the counter and pulled some silverware out of a drawer. Emma eased back down into her seat as he grabbed some napkins as well and walked back over to the table.

Felix actually felt a hint of gratitude for David as the man carefully placed a fork down beside Snow, his eyes filled with a pleading apology. Snow simply turned her head back around to face front, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. Clearly she was set to ignore her husband for the rest of the meal, possibly even the rest of the night.

Felix smirked a little in amusement, remembering all the times he had upset Peter and received the same punishment as David. Sometimes. More often than not though Peter's punishments were far more... physical. Felix greatly preferred those.

The rest of the dinner passed without much incident. Snow asked Felix a few questions about how he was adjusting to life in Storybrooke, shooting glares across the table at David periodically. Felix had commented that it was certainly different than Neverland but he thought he was doing alright.

Once they had finished the meal and each enjoyed a piece of chocolate cake, Henry pushed up from his seat, licking his fingers clean. He had refused to use a fork even on dessert, seizing this as his one night to be messy. Felix found the behavior very Lost Boy like and thought perhaps Henry would have done alright on the island after all if it hadn't been for his annoying family.

"Come on. We can hang out in my room," Henry said, flashing a smile at Felix and grabbing a napkin on his way out of the room.

Felix raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise at the offer. He thought Henry had made it clear that morning that he didn't want to hang out with the older boy.

He slowly got to his feet, looking down at his empty dishes with uncertainty.

"Oh, honey, you can just leave those," Snow said, waving her hand through the air. "We'll take care of them. You just go have fun!"

Felix hesitated for a moment longer before nodding his head and heading off in the direction Henry had gone.

"He has such good manners for being raised in the wild," Felix could hear Snow crooning affectionately. He rolled his eyes a bit in amusement.


	6. Zombies vs Aliens

Felix had to duck his head a little when he entered Henry's small bedroom to avoid hitting the top of his head on the doorframe. Henry was on his hands and knees off to the side digging through a pile of colorful, plastic cases. He suddenly looked over at Felix with a smile.

"Hey. You can sit down anywhere," Henry said, turning back to the cases he was shuffling through.

Felix just stood there awkwardly for a few more moments, glancing around the small room. He finally eased himself down on the floor beside Henry's bed, leaning back against the hard wood encircling the bottom of it. Felix felt weird being in the boy's bedroom. It was too cozy, too innocent. Felix was used to the wild, dangerous, unpredictability being with Peter brought. That was what he liked.

Henry sat back up after a minute, studying intently two cases he held in his hands.

"'Alien Overlords from Mars' or 'Zombie Robot Wars'?" He asked, looking over at Felix for an answer.

"For what?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Movie," Henry responded, giving him a funny look.

Felix continued to stare at him quizzically.

"What's a movie?" He asked, regretting the question immediately when Henry's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open slightly.

"You don't know what a movie is?" He asked in disbelief, his expression making Felix suddenly feel incredibly stupid. "It's only the greatest thing to ever be invented next to video games and comic books."

Henry paused for a moment as he thought.

"A movie is like a book but it's told with moving pictures instead of words," he explained, turning to study the two movie cases in his hands again.

"Oh," Felix responded, still feeling confused.

"You look like a robot zombie guy," Henry finally concluded, flashing the older boy a smile and putting down one of the cases. He crawled over to a silver box on the other side of the room and popped a circular disk into its slot.

Henry scooted back over to sit beside Felix, holding a black remote control in his hand and pressing a button on it.

The movie concluded about an hour and a half later. It was alright. Felix was confused through most of it though and figured he would just stick with books from now on. All the fast moving images gave him a headache and he found himself shutting his eyes at some of the jerky camera movements.

Once Henry had stopped the movie, he turned to look at Felix expectantly.

"Well? What'd you think?" He asked.

Felix hesitated, trying to think of something that wouldn't disappoint the boy.

"It was... fast," he concluded with a slight wince.

Henry tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows together quizzically before suddenly letting out a snort of amusement.

"You're weird," he laughed.

Felix smirked a little but then suddenly frowned at the memories of Peter making the exact same remarks to him on occasion. He wondered what Peter would have thought about the movie and decided he would have to show the brunette one at some point. He figured Peter would agree with him on his decision that books were much better.

"We still have an hour before my bedti-" Henry suddenly caught himself and coughed. "I mean, before I usually decide to go to bed," he corrected, flashing the older boy a confident smile to hide the embarrassed flush of his cheeks. "We could play a video game."

Felix stared at him blankly for a moment.

"... You don't know what a video game is either, do you?" Henry asked with an exasperated expression.

Felix shook his head.

Henry heaved a sigh and dug through another stack of plastic cases beside the silver box.

"We better start you off with something easy then," he mused, holding up a few cases and studying them.

Henry popped in some sort of simple shooter game in which you play as an aircraft that's shooting down other aircrafts and alien looking creatures. The boy had said it was really easy but after getting blown up for what felt like the hundredth time, Felix wondered if he was dense or if the young boy was just really good.

Henry grinned up at him.

"Wow, you're really bad at this," he laughed. "You're only on the first level!"

Felix growled audibly as one of the creatures shot a flame at his aircraft, damaging it considerably. He slammed his hand down onto the buttons of the controller in frustration. All of the aircrafts and aliens exploded with a white flash until only Felix's ship remained. A happy trill of music suddenly played as a score popped up on the screen.

"Whoa! I didn't know you could do that!" Henry exclaimed in awe, looking over at Felix. "What button did you press?"

Felix looked down at the controller.

"All of them?" He responded with uncertainty.

Henry scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion when he heard a sudden knock from the doorway. Felix and Henry looked over to see Emma leaning into the room with a hand on the wall and a smile on her face.

"Hey, kid. It's time to get ready for bed," she said to Henry, pleased to see the two boys engaged in such a normal activity.

Henry groaned.

"Other Mom lets me stay up until eleven though," he stated, smiling innocently up at the woman. Felix felt a tiny smirk cross his lips. He didn't have to know anything about Henry's normal bedtime schedule to recognize that he was clearly lying.

Emma wasn't fooled either and merely raised an eyebrow at her son.

"Nice try, kid. Your other mom and I make you go to bed at the exact same time."

"Yeah but we have company tonight," Henry continued, motioning at Felix. "Can't I stay up just a little later?" His brown eyes grew wide with pleading.

Emma gave him a lighthearted, scolding expression.

"Felix will still be here tomorrow. Now, go put your pjs on."

Henry scoffed as he got to his feet, casting one last glance at Felix.

"I don't wear pjs, Mom," he replied, walking past the woman and turning down the hall.

Emma rolled her eyes and moved to lean against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest just gazing at the older boy for a moment as if considering something. Felix raised an eyebrow at her quizzically.

Emma glanced over her shoulder before looking back down at the blonde.

"You know, it's nice seeing Henry playing with someone his own age," she remarked. "Well... closer to his age. I guess I kind of... worry about him, ya know? He doesn't really pal around with anyone and... this was nice. I know he enjoyed hanging out with you even if he didn't say it."

Emma suddenly shifted uncomfortably, rubbing at her neck and glancing off to the side. Felix could tell she wanted to say something else to him but was having trouble finding the right words for it. She finally let out a sharp breath and looked back down at him with a slight wince.

"Look, kid, if you ever need a place to crash or you just wanna hang out or eat or something, you're always welcome to come over here. You've been with Peter constantly for, what? A couple hundred years? You must be dying for some other friends. I know being with him all day, every day must get pretty aggravating, am I right?" Emma asked with an awkward chuckle meant to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Felix just stared at her blankly.

Emma sucked in sharply through her teeth and then released the breath, looking away again with discomfort.

"Right," she stated, realizing that insulting the kid's boyfriend probably wasn't the smartest move on her part. The kid was completely obsessed with Peter. He probably didn't even think about having other friends.

"I mean, if you wanna bring Peter over here with you I guess that would be... interesting," Emma continued with a grimace.

Felix smirked a little at that.

The woman looked back down at Felix, studying the boy to see if he understood what she was trying to say. Felix caught her light blue eyes and smiled more sincerely.

"Right," he replied.

He knew exactly what she was trying to ask of him. Despite all the trouble he and Peter had caused, Henry seemed to like being around Felix. Emma didn't want her son to continue being all alone in Storybrooke. He needed people his own age to talk to and, even though Peter and Felix weren't her first, second, or even third choices, if hanging out with them made Henry happy, that was just fine with her. She wasn't sure how they would win over Regina... but she figured the queen's desire for Henry to be happy would eventually win her over.

Besides, Peter had changed considerably since getting Felix back. Emma could see that clearly. Even though Peter was still mischievous and enjoyed playing mind games, Felix grounded him in a way nobody else could. The blonde made the other boy seem gentle in a way. His jokes had become harmless fun and his concern over Felix's well-being during his trip had been rather endearing.

No, the two boys certainly weren't the best choices of friends for Henry but Emma figured they weren't the worst either. If they would help keep her son's loneliness at bay, then Emma figured she could look past the whole Neverland incident and give the boys a second chance. Henry already seemed to have completely forgotten about that week he was on the island anyway.

"Mom, what are you still doing here?" The young boy's voice suddenly came from beside Emma.

She looked down to see Henry's brown eyes narrowed in confusion as he stood beside her in the doorway. She glanced back over at Felix, their eyes meeting for a split second, before smiling down at her son again.

"Oh, just teenage boy stuff," Emma began with a shrug. "Cars, comics, girls."

Henry scrunched his eyebrows together unconvinced and then scoffed.

"Felix doesn't like girls and he probably doesn't even know what a car is," the boy said, moving past the woman to walk over to his dresser.

Felix would have been offended by the comment except that he didn't know what a car was. Emma chuckled at the slightly quizzical look on the older boy's face and leaned off of the doorframe.

"Come on, Felix. I think David has some clothes you can change into for the night," she said, motioning with her hand and heading back towards the main room.

Felix got to his feet, casting one last glance over at Henry who flashed him a smile, and followed Emma down the hallway.


	7. To Bed with Lonely Thoughts

David was waiting in the living room with some simple, white, cloth pants and a shirt draped over his arms. Emma had gone down another hallway, leaving the two males alone. David released an uncomfortable breath as Felix stood beside him and forced a smile at the blonde as he handed him the clothing.

"Here you go," he said. "They might be a little big on you but they should be okay for the night."

Felix glanced down at the fabric before looking back up at David with a slightly raised eyebrow. The man was watching him as if he wanted to say something else.

David suddenly noticed Felix's eyes on him and ducked his head a bit in embarrassment.

"So, uh... You and Peter are really a thing, huh?" He asked awkwardly, wincing slightly at how weird the question must have sounded.

Felix smirked a bit in amusement. Of course he and Peter must have seemed like an odd pair. He opened his mouth to respond when Snow's sharp hiss suddenly came from behind the man.

"David!" She snapped, storming up beside her husband. "Two boys can be together if they want to be. True love has no gender."

David was clearly taken aback by Snow's vicious glare.

"I-I wasn't saying it did," he stumbled out. "I was just... surprised he would choose Peter."

Felix's smirk widened a bit.

"He's a complex person," he responded simply.

"That's right," Snow agreed, continuing to glare up at the man. "He's a complex person. Now, stop saying the P word. You're just going to upset Felix."

David stared at Snow for a moment longer before shaking his head slightly and raising his eyebrows with resignation.

"Right," he sighed, glancing down at the floor. He knew his wife was still upset with him about what happened at dinner and it looked like she was determined to stay worked up for the rest of the night.

The woman suddenly turned a warm smile up at Felix.

"The bathroom is down that hall to the left if you want to take a shower," she said, motioning behind her. "Towels are in the cabinet. Do you need me to show you how the shower works?" Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed in concern.

Felix wrinkled his nose ever so slightly at the question and shook his head. He and Peter had been in Storybrooke long enough to have taken numerous showers together. Even without the other boy there, Felix figured he could work the knobs by himself with little difficulty.

Snow smiled up at him again.

"Alright, then. You go on ahead. If you have any trouble with anything just holler for me!"

David and Felix both scrunched their eyebrows together at the comment but didn't respond.

Felix didn't have any trouble with the shower. Other than the knob with the "H" on it actually turning on the cold water and the knob with the "C" turning on the hot water. He figured that out pretty quickly though and adjusted accordingly. He was a little surprised the brunette woman hadn't mentioned anything about it earlier.

Felix studied his reflection in the bathroom's mirror. David's clothes hung loosely on his thin frame and made him look even lankier. Felix would have preferred to just wear his jeans to sleep in like he usually did but at least the clothes were comfortable. His blonde hair was ruffled and dripping and his grey eyes looked tired. He studied the crossed scars under his eye, suddenly feeling a pang of loneliness shoot through him.

The shower had been nice and relaxing but it would have been much more fun with Peter in it. He would have complained about the shower knobs producing the wrong water temperatures and demanded Felix do something about it which, of course, he wouldn't have been able to. Then Peter would have sighed with exasperation and asked why he even kept the blonde around if he was so useless. Then Felix would have smirked and growled and gladly shown the boy exactly why he kept him around.

Felix could feel his cheeks flushing a little at the thought. The shower would have DEFINITELY been more enjoyable with Peter there.

He frowned a little at himself in the mirror, his eyes glazing a bit with sadness, before pulling open the bathroom door and heading back towards the living room.

Snow was seated on the worn out couch flipping through a colorful magazine. She looked up as Felix stood a few feet away feeling a bit awkward in the clothes. Snow grinned up at him and got to her feet.

"Look at you!" She exclaimed in delight. "You look like a pirate in the middle of getting dressed to go out on the high seas!"

Felix scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion at the woman's words but then smiled a little in amusement.

"How was your shower?" She asked.

"It was good," Felix responded with a slight shrug.

"Good!" Snow replied.

Her face suddenly fell after a moment as she let out a sigh and motioned towards the couch. Felix hadn't noticed it before but there was a pillow and a couple of blankets placed at either end of it.

"I'm afraid we don't have any extra beds, so you'll have to sleep on the couch," she explained with a bit of a wince, worry lacing her features. "I hope you don't mind."

Felix shook his head. He had spent almost two hundred years sleeping on the ground or in a rope hammock. The couch was more than fine with him.

Snow smiled in relief and turned around to pick up the two blankets. She draped one over the back of the couch and unfolded the other, turning back to Felix.

"Would you like me to tuck you in?" She asked, her face alighting.

Felix was a little taken aback by the question. He opened his mouth to respond when Emma's voice cut in from the other side of the room.

"Felix is nineteen, Mary-Margaret. I don't think he wants to be tucked in," she said with a sigh, walking over to the couch.

"You're never too old to be tucked in," Snow responded, shooting her daughter a warning look.

"I'm alright," Felix stated, forcing a tiny smile at the brunette.

Snow turned her narrowed eyes onto the boy before tossing the blanket down onto the couch.

"Alright. Whatever makes you comfortable," she snipped before pointing over at the kitchen. "The kitchen's right over there. Help yourself. The bathroom's down the hall. David and I are sleeping right over there in that room. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to wake one of us up."

"I think he'll be fine, Mary-Margaret," Emma sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"I know. I was just making sure," Snow responded, shooting a look at the other woman.

The two walked over to the hallway that led to the bathroom and their rooms before stopping and shooting smiles back at the boy.

"Sleep tight, kid," Emma said, flipping a switch to turn the living room's lights off.

"Remember, we're right over here if you need anything," Snow responded sweetly.

Emma sighed again as the two women finally headed down the hallway.

Felix sat down and lifted his legs up onto the couch, bending forward to retrieve the green, quilted blanket and pulling it over him. He leaned back onto the pillow and just lay there listening to the shuffling and murmuring of voices coming from down the hall.

It was nice to finally have a moment to himself. Felix was very grateful for the people of Storybrooke attempting to keep his mind occupied so he wouldn't get too lonely. He missed it just being him and Peter though. All of the attention and constant requests from the other residents had started getting a little annoying. Even with Peter's mischievous and adventurous nature, he always made time for the two to just sit quietly together. Peter relished the silence as much as Felix did and the blonde finally began to truly feel the weight of his loneliness.

He rolled over onto his side, staring at the back of the couch cushions and thinking about how much better that makeshift bed would be if Peter was in it with him. There was barely enough room just for Felix and he smirked a little at the thought of the brunette's reaction if he had to sleep on the couch with him.

At first, Peter would have scoffed and stated that even the hammocks in Neverland had been bigger than that, until he realized this meant he and Felix would be forced to sleep very close together. Then, he would have smirked and gladly laid down on top of Felix, content to use him as a bed. Or he would have curled up between Felix's chest and the back of the couch, savoring the tight space and the forced intimacy.

Felix smiled a little, his silver eyes filling with a touch of sadness at the thought that the couch now suddenly felt too big for just him. He wondered where Peter would be sleeping that night and hoped that perhaps the brunette was thinking about him as well.

After about an hour, the lights in the hallway finally clicked off and the murmuring of voices died out. Felix closed his eyes then, falling into a restless and fitful sleep.


	8. Talks of Midnight Worries

Felix must have woken up at least four times during the next three hours before finally deciding he just wasn't going to get any sleep that night and lying there on the couch with his arm draped over his eyes. He had forgotten how difficult it was to sleep without Peter beside him. He had gotten so used to the other boy's quiet snores and twitching in his sleep that the deathly silence just felt wrong.

Felix was contemplating sneaking out of the apartment and going back to Granny's diner when he suddenly heard the sound of shuffling feet entering the living room. He raised his arm slightly off of his face and furrowed his brows. He thought it might be Henry coming to him because of a nightmare or something. Two hundred years of comforting young Lost Boys in the middle of the night had trained him to expect as much.

He suddenly noticed a dark figure quietly sneaking into the kitchen. Felix could tell from the size of it that it definitely wasn't Henry.

He sat up instantly, feeling a fire shoot through him. He wondered if a thief had somehow managed to get into the apartment during one of his twenty minute naps and quietly shifted the blanket off of him. Felix silently crept across the floor as the figure pulled something off of the counter and then turned around.

"Oh, gosh!" It exclaimed in a panic, nearly dropping the flat, cylindrical container on the floor.

The figure immediately reached around and yanked open the refrigerator door to give light to the tiny kitchen. Felix squinted at the sudden brightness but then raised his eyebrows a bit in surprise at the sight of the brunette woman clutching the container holding the chocolate cake to her chest.

Snow's eyes had been wide with fear and surprise but quickly softened when she recognized the boy.

"Felix?" She asked quietly, releasing a breath as her shoulders relaxed. "You startled me. You're so quiet. Did I wake you?" Her expression suddenly filled with concern as she studied the blonde.

He shook his head and shrugged a little.

"I can't sleep," he responded simply.

Snow's eyes immediately grew sympathetic as she smiled gently up at him.

"Me neither. I couldn't stop... thinking," she said with a sigh, glancing away.

Felix tilted his head a little with curiosity but Snow just smiled back up at him.

"That's why I came in here to get a late night snack. Would you like a piece of cake?"

Felix shook his head. He wasn't really all that hungry.

"Oh, please, dear," Snow said, her eyes suddenly turning pleading. "It'll make me feel better if you have some too."

Felix wasn't really sure how that would help the woman feel better but he merely smirked a little in amusement.

"Sure," he finally conceded.

Snow grinned with relief.

"Great! You get the plates, glasses and... forks," she said, clearing her throat and frowning a little.

Felix chuckled at her expression as Snow placed the cake down onto the kitchen table.

"The plates and glasses should be in that cabinet up there," she continued, motioning towards one of the wooden doors above the counter.

Felix pulled out two plates, two glasses and then two forks from the drawer he had seen David digging through at dinner before placing them quietly on the table beside the cake. Snow was holding a large serving knife and turned her wide, hazel eyes onto Felix.

"How big a piece would you like?" She asked.

"A small one's fine," he replied with a slight shrug.

Snow sliced a very tiny piece of the cake, tipping it over onto Felix's plate, before cutting the remaining half of the cake in half and carefully sliding one of the pieces onto her plate. The large slice barely fit onto the dish and Felix's eyes widened a bit in surprise at the notion that this petite woman was going to eat all of that herself.

Snow suddenly glanced up, catching Felix's gaze, and a deep blush formed on her cheeks.

"I- I'm not pregnant or anything! I'm just craving chocolate cake!" She quickly defended herself, her quiet voice slightly elevating in panic.

The two just stared at each other for several moments when Snow cursed quietly under her breath.

"David and Emma are right. I can't keep a secret," she muttered bitterly before suddenly turning pleading eyes onto the boy. "Please don't tell anyone, Felix. I'm just... waiting for the right time." She clutched the serving knife to her chest in worry.

Felix was momentarily speechless from the confession. Not that his silence would be thought of as unusual.

So, the savior would be getting a baby sibling? Felix wondered briefly how she would react to the news and thought about his own life before meeting Peter. Felix had been the oldest of five much younger siblings, so he had gotten used to receiving word that he would be a big brother yet again. He figured Emma would be excited but also fearful of the change. She would probably be completely unsure about the whole thing until the baby actually got there. Then she would look at the little thing and suddenly feel that rush of protective, older sibling love and know that, somehow, everything would be perfectly fine.

Felix never liked to think much about his life before Peter because they weren't happy times but having younger ones around had been the one joyous thing he could distinctly remember. The youngest Lost Boys had taken the place of his siblings after being on Neverland for so many years. Felix didn't like to admit it but part of him did miss having little, bumbling, wide-eyed things tailing after him. He didn't want anything like that right then but he had wondered every so often if he and Peter might could one day adopt a young one of their own.

The blonde shook his head ever so slightly to clear it, feeling a bit exasperated by the idea. Peter absolutely hated children. Felix knew that very well but... still. Perhaps he and Peter could babysit Snow's new addition and the blonde could show him that children weren't as horrendous as he thought. If the child was with Felix, certainly Peter wouldn't end up despising it the way he did Rumple.

Felix smiled a little down at the woman and shook his head.

"I won't say a word," he promised.

Snow's face immediately lightened with relief.

"Oh, thank you, Felix," she gushed quietly, turning to the fridge. "Let me get us some milk."

The two must have sat at the table for an hour eating and talking. Well... Snow talked. Felix mainly just listened. Not that he minded. He had been asked so many questions about himself that day that it was nice to be able to just listen.

Snow mainly spoke of her worries about the new baby, things Felix vaguely remembered hearing his own parents express concern over many times. She was also worried about how Emma would handle things. Snow had always been so heartbroken by the fact that she had missed Emma growing up. Though she was overjoyed at being able to start all over again with a new child, she feared that her grown daughter would resent her and David for bringing a baby in now.

"I don't think that'll be an issue," Felix stated with a slight smirk once Snow had stopped speaking.

Snow's eyes widened and she froze with the glass of milk up to her lips, surprised at hearing the blonde actually respond to her.

"Before I came to Neverland, I was the oldest of six. My siblings were all much younger than me, so I guess I kind of understand your concerns," Felix explained.

"That's right!" Snow suddenly gasped quietly, placing her glass back down onto the table. "I keep forgetting you boys weren't always with Peter on Neverland."

Felix smiled a little because he often forgot that himself.

"What was your family like?" Snow asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Felix shrugged after a moment, looking down at the empty plates.

"There's really not much to say about them," he responded neutrally. "My parents ran a small plantation in the south, so my siblings and I worked out in the fields with the slaves."

"That must have been a difficult life," Snow commented sincerely. "Is that where you got those scars under your eye?" She suddenly placed her hand over her mouth, her eyes filling with apology at what she deemed an inappropriate question. "I'm so sorry! You don't have to answer that!"

Felix smirked in amusement, reaching up to touch the scars.

"Actually, I got these from Peter," he responded, not being able to completely contain the hunger that welled up inside of him at the memory.

Snow furrowed her brows a little, a bit concerned about the fire that flashed through Felix's eyes as he spoke. She simply smiled awkwardly and shook her head, deciding it was probably best she didn't try to figure out Felix and Peter's relationship.

"Do you ever think about your siblings?" She asked, attempting to redirect the conversation.

Felix placed his hand back in his lap and shrugged again.

"I used to when I first came to Neverland but they're all long gone now," he responded.

"How long were you on Neverland?" Snow asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Felix squinted a bit as he tried to remember exactly how long he had been with Peter. He had stopped keeping track of the years so long ago.

"At least a couple of centuries," he stated uncertainly. "I don't know the exact number."

Snow's eyes widened in shock.

"You've been with Peter for two hundred years?" She gasped.

Felix chuckled a bit at her reaction.

"It doesn't feel that long," he responded absentmindedly.

Snow smiled in understanding.

"It never does when you're with the right person," she breathed, feeling a warmth go through her chest. It was nice being able to relate to the boy on such a personal level.

After a few moments, Snow sighed and got to her feet, picking her empty dishes up.

"We better be getting back to bed," she commented as she walked over to the sink. Felix picked his dishes up as well and followed her. "This was really nice though," Snow continued, her smile warming as she gazed up at the boy.

Felix allowed a tiny smile to form on his lips as well.

"Come on," Snow chimed after a moment, waving with her hand and walking over to the couch. "I'll tuck you in."

Felix immediately cocked an eyebrow and frowned. He thought he had put an end to this earlier that evening.

He followed Snow over to the couch as she picked up the the green blanket and spread it apart in her hands.

"I don't need..." Felix began but was quickly silenced by the vicious glare Snow turned on him.

He stared at her with slightly widened eyes for a moment before finally letting out a very quiet, resigned breath and sitting down on the couch. Snow smiled warmly at him when he leaned back down on the pillow. She laid the blanket out on top of him and then tucked it in tightly around his body. The blonde felt uncomfortable with the whole situation but tried to force a grateful smile anyway.

"Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?" Snow asked with a loving gaze. "I'll have to get used to doing things like this soon."

Felix's gaze turned apprehensive and he shook his head.

"No, I'm alright," he stated before adding a quick, "Thank you."

"Alright, dear. You know where to find me if you need anything," she continued, bending down to brush his blonde bangs away from his eyes.

Snow gazed down at him warmly for another moment before leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss against his forehead. Felix tensed at the contact, unused to such motherly affection.

"Between you and me, I so hope I have a son this time," she whispered, giving Felix one last, gentle smile before heading off down the hallway.

Felix waited until he heard the click of the bedroom door shutting before shifting around to pull the blanket out from under him. It felt strange being mothered after all these years. Felix had always been the one looking after Peter and the Lost Boys on Neverland.

He briefly allowed his thoughts to wander to his old family, wondering what they had all done before their inevitable deaths. He frowned after a moment though, deciding there was no sense in thinking about it. Peter was his family now and that was all he would ever need.

Felix smiled a little at the thought of the boy before rolling over and drifting off into a more peaceful slumber.


	9. Purely Dark Hearts

Felix was awoken early the next morning by the smell of bacon and eggs frying on the stove. He sat up drowsily, his head swimming with confusion for a moment at the unfamiliar place he was in.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Snow chimed pleasantly, leaning on the back of the couch and smiling down at the boy.

Felix glanced up at the woman with a slightly raised eyebrow, suddenly remembering all the things that had transpired the previous day and the conversation he and the brunette had just a few hours ago.

"How did you sleep?" She asked.

Felix rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand before responding.

"Alright," he mumbled.

"Wonderful! Well, get up and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready shortly," Snow replied much too cheerfully for so early in the morning.

She walked back over to the stove. That was when Felix noticed Emma leaning against the counter next to it. She flashed him an awkward smile when she caught his eye and then turned her head to say something to Snow.

Felix tugged the blanket off of him and got to his feet, still a bit wobbly from sleep. Henry padded into the room already dressed but looking just as out of it as Felix. He flashed the older boy a brief, sleepy smile before heading over to the kitchen table and plopping himself down in a chair.

Felix made his way to the bathroom down the hall and ended up just changing into his clothes from the previous day. After being on Neverland for so many years and going weeks without changing clothes, it didn't bother him to wear the same thing twice.

Felix entered the living room again, noticing Emma was now sitting across from Henry at the kitchen table. Snow and David were setting the plates of eggs and bacon down on the table when the brunette woman suddenly caught Felix's eye. She smiled at him warmly.

"Come sit down," she called happily. "We're all ready to eat."

Felix walked over to the table, deciding to take the seat beside Henry. The younger boy flashed him another drowsy smile. Felix noticed there was now silverware on the table. He smirked a little in amusement.

"Alright, let's dig in!" Snow stated as she and David took their seats as well.

The food was good. It reminded Felix of the eggs they would often eat on Neverland. Of course, that made him think of Peter.

Felix let out a quiet breath realizing he still had another day and night to get through before the boy would return.

"So, what are your plans for today, sweetheart?" Snow's curious voice broke into his thoughts.

Felix glanced up at the woman to see her smiling warmly at him. He shrugged a shoulder.

"I thought about going down to the shipyard and looking around," he stated after a moment.

Felix didn't want to admit it but he was secretly hoping Peter might come back to Storybrooke early. Whenever Peter would leave Neverland to go to the Enchanted Forest, he often told Felix how long he planned to be gone. Sometimes he would come back early though. Whether Peter knew he would be arriving on that day and simply said otherwise, Felix wasn't sure.

"Oh, that sounds fun!" Snow exclaimed, cutting a piece of egg with her fork. "Ariel and Eric live close to there. Maybe you could visit them."

Felix cocked an eyebrow ever so slightly but said nothing. He hadn't spoken to the mermaid at all on Neverland. He guessed with her memory, she probably wouldn't even know who Felix was. Felix had never met Eric nor was he really keen on making new friends. Peter was the one that had always been good with introductions and conversations. Felix just felt awkward around people he didn't know.

"I can come with you," Henry pipped in, suddenly looking more awake.

"You have school today, kid," Emma reminded him with a lighthearted, scolding expression. Henry groaned a little.

"Can't I miss just one day?" He asked with an innocent smile.

"You've already missed plenty of days," Emma sighed, raising an eyebrow. "Oh. Don't forget. You're staying with Regina tonight."

"I know," Henry replied with a roll of his eyes. Like he would ever forget about his other mom. He suddenly looked over at Felix. "You can stay with us if you want. I don't think my other mom would mind."

Snow must have noticed the suddenly tense atmosphere and the way Felix's jaw clenched because she quickly let out an awkward laugh.

"OR you can stay with us tonight. We would love to have you over again. Wouldn't we?" She asked, turning a smile onto Emma.

Emma glanced up at her briefly before looking over at Felix with the sides of her lips quirked upwards and nodding her head firmly.

"Yeah, sure."

Snow turned her gaze onto her husband then. The man suddenly looked up from the egg he was cutting with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"I said that we would love to have Felix stay with us another night, wouldn't we?" Snow repeated, her eyes narrowed pointedly as they locked with her husband's.

David glanced over at Felix before forcing a smile.

"Of course."

Snow's expression immediately warmed as she turned her gaze back onto the blonde male. Felix simply shot her a small smile back. He actually planned on staying the night in his room above the diner. Since Peter was supposed to come back tomorrow morning, Felix didn't want to risk missing his arrival.

Once they had finished breakfast, Henry and Felix headed downstairs. Henry was babbling about some other video game he thought Felix might do okay at playing. Felix wrinkled his nose ever so slightly in distaste. He wasn't sure he wanted to try any more video games after all the trouble he had with that first one.

As the two boys exited the building, Henry suddenly stopped short in surprise. Felix glanced over in the direction the younger boy was staring with a quizzical eyebrow raised. He immediately felt his body tense and a low growl escape his throat.

The dark haired woman in a long, black coat had stopped a few feet away from the boys. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise at first but then flashed with a forcefully squelched anger.

"M-Mom? What are you doing here?" Henry stuttered with unease as the woman purposely walked over and stood beside her son.

"I was going to walk you to school," she responded with a tiny quirk of her lips, her deadly gaze never once leaving Felix's equally displeased expression. "What are you doing here?" She continued, voice clearly directed at the blonde.

"Felix was staying with us last night," Henry responded for him, trying to smile innocently.

"What?" The woman choked out, her eyes widening in shock once again.

Suddenly, the door to the apartment swung open almost hitting Felix in the back. All eyes locked onto the blonde woman that stepped through the doorway.

Emma startled a bit at finding the group standing right outside the door. Her blue eyes went from one face to the next, assessing the tense atmosphere.

"Hey," she said with uncertainty after a moment. "What's going on?"

"You let them stay with you?" The dark haired woman accused through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing as they bored into the other woman's.

Emma crinkled her eyebrows together in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Felix and Pan. You let them stay with you? With Henry in the house? After everything they did?" The dark haired woman demanded, her voice elevating in agitation. Her eyes were horrified but questioning as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Whoa, Regina. Take it easy," Emma quickly responded, holding her hands up in a sign of defense. "First of all, it was just Felix that stayed with us."

"Well, where's Pan? Did they get into some kind of lover's quarrel?" Regina spat with a mocking scoff, shooting a look at Felix. Felix merely returned her gaze cooly.

"Peter's gone to the Enchanted Forest for a couple of days and he asked us to keep an eye on Felix in the evenings so that he wouldn't get lonely," Emma replied in a slightly defensive tone.

Regina stared at the blonde woman for a moment.

"Peter?" She asked with a raised lip in disgust. "So, suddenly, you're all such good friends, is that it?"

Emma was a bit taken aback by the remark.

"No, that's not what I was-"

"Have you forgotten what they put us through? What they put HENRY through?" Regina demanded, cutting the blonde woman off. "And you're so quick to forget about all of that just because PAN comes crawling to you with some sob story about his boyfriend getting lonely? And you completely fall for it! You know, I expect this kind of behavior from the Charmings but I thought you of all people would be able to see through his tricks. I guess you really are their daughter."

Emma's jaw clenched as she stared unflinchingly at the other woman.

"Love can change the heart of any villain, Regina. You of all people should understand that."

Emma glanced down at Henry then before turning her hard gaze back onto Regina.

"Come on, Henry. I'LL walk you to school."

Henry cast one last glance up at the dark haired woman and then at Felix before following Emma down the sidewalk towards the school. Regina watched the two for a moment before turning a slightly softened look onto the blonde male that instantly hardened once more.

She stepped forward so that her face was mere inches from his. Felix held his ground, not even blinking as her vicious stare collided with his.

"Just because you have the ability to love one person, that doesn't make your heart pure," she murmured darkly. "I understand that."

Regina turned away then briskly heading off in the direction Emma and Henry had gone.

Felix just stood there for a moment longer, feeling the side of his lips turn upwards in a slight smirk. He didn't recall ever saying anything about being pure.

The queen may have been wrong about Felix and Peter only wanting to cause misery for everyone but the savior's notion that the two boys had changed completely for the better wasn't exactly accurate either. Felix still felt the desire to end certain peoples' lives and that wasn't exactly the product of a pure heart. Then again, he wasn't sure just how "pure" the hearts of the Storybrooke residents were either.

Felix rolled his shoulders a bit before heading off in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.


	10. Knives, Pirates and Mermaids! Oh, my!

NOTE:

I am so sorry!

This took over a month to write and I wish it was better for you guys. In this chapter, Felix and Hook run into each other and I had so much trouble with their relationship. I think I wrote this chapter five different ways and deleted every one of them because nothing ever felt right. It still doesn't feel right but I can't keep fiddling with it forever.

Again, I greatly apologize that this chapter wasn't worth the wait. The next one definitely won't take this long.

/

Felix sat on the sandy beach with his chin in his hands, gazing out at the waves quietly lapping onto the shore. He had gone down to the dock briefly to look around but, not finding any sign of the ship Peter would be returning on, decided to just sit on the shore.

It was nice being on the coast with the salty air and the gentle, cool breeze blowing. It reminded Felix of the shores on Neverland only this beach had a much brighter feeling than the dismal one on the island. Felix liked Neverland's shores a lot better. He never felt the need to force a smile there. On this beach in the warm sunlight, he knew he should have been happy but he wasn't.

He suddenly caught a glimpse of some movement to his left and casually glanced over at the small, wooden shack right on the water's edge. Felix recognized the red-headed woman immediately even without her fish tail. The attractive dark haired man with her was a person he had never seen though. He guessed that had to be the Eric he had learned about at breakfast.

The two were standing very close together right outside the shack on a wooden pier. Ariel suddenly turned to Eric with a delighted expression and proceeded to rub noses with him affectionately. Eric laughed, wrapping his arms around the red-head's waist and pulling her closer for a kiss.

Felix rolled his eyes in disgust and turned back to the ocean with a frown. He wasn't sure he would have found the display any less repulsive if Peter had been there. Although, not having the boy at his side made the couple unbearable to watch.

"Well, don't you look like you could use a nice, big, stiff one," a voice suddenly called out with a chuckle.

Felix looked over at the dock to his right with a quizzical brow raised. His lips quirked into a snarl when he immediately recognized the dark haired pirate, Captain Hook, stepping off the Jolly Roger that he had just docked. He was smirking as he tied a couple of ropes around the wooden posts and then sauntered casually over to the blonde. His grin widened when he caught sight of the clear disdain on Felix's face.

"A drink, lad. I was referring to a drink," Hook continued but the amusement in his eyes spoke otherwise. "Although, I'm sure you could use a stiff one of THOSE as well."

Felix actually had to force himself not to growl. He wasn't exactly in a playful mood that morning and the pirate was right up there next to Rumplestiltskin on Felix's most hated list.

Hook must have noticed the blonde's agitation because his smirk slipped a little and his brows furrowed.

"What's wrong with you, lad? You seem to be in a more dismal state than usual."

Felix merely set his jaw hard and remained silent.

Hook squinted at him for a moment when his eyebrows suddenly shot up on his forehead.

"Oh, that's right! Pan's gone for a couple of days. His little trip or what have you," the pirate remarked with a wave of his hook dismissively. "And here I thought you'd be thrilled to have some time away from his constant supervision."

Felix whipped his head around to give the pirate a slightly quizzical stare.

"Peter spoke to you about his trip?" He asked, feeling his annoyance level rise again.

"Yes, I suppose he mentioned something about it last week," Hook responded, his brows furrowing a little in confusion at why the boy would even be asking. "Also mentioned something about you getting a little lonely, so I figured I could aid you by offering you a little work on my ship to keep you occupied."

The pirate grinned, trying to appear more sincere. He honestly didn't really care much about what Pan had said concerning Felix. Emma mentioned being worried about Felix's well-being though and Hook figured he could get on her good side by helping the boy out. Saving Henry from Pan's clutches in Neverland hadn't won him Emma's heart just yet, so it certainly couldn't hurt.

"No, thanks," Felix responded coldly through gritted teeth as he stared straight ahead at the ocean's waves.

Hook's smile immediately fell and his brows furrowed in annoyance at the hostile atmosphere. Why was the lad being so difficult? He was just trying to help.

"Look, boy-o," Hook began, keeping his voice even. "I know you miss your boyfriend, or whatever you two are, but just sitting on the beach waiting for him to return isn't exactly helping anyone. I'm being a nice fellow here and offering to help you out. Now are you going to continue sitting there like a bump or are you going to enjoy a delightful afternoon with yours truly?"

Felix didn't make any movement that he had heard.

Hook let out a sigh, grinding his teeth together. He turned around with his back to the blonde for a moment, briefly wondering if gaining Emma's favor was really worth this much trouble. Clearly the boy was being difficult on purpose as teenagers generally were. Hook knew he would have to get used to dealing with things like this if he ever hoped to make a good father to Henry someday.

After a few moments, Hook let out a resigned sigh and turned back around to try reasoning with the lad once more. His eyes widened as they landed on an empty sandy spot where Felix once sat.

Hook scoured the area in a panic for a moment before finally spotting the blonde several yards down the coast heading back towards the town. The pirate quickly trotted off to catch up with him.

"Hey, boy-o! Where do you think you're going? I know you miss Pan but I'm trying to help you here," he called out, slowing his pace as he came up behind Felix. Hook placed his good hand on the blonde's shoulder to stop him. "Listen, lad, I- "

Felix immediately spun around, the knife in his hand suddenly pressed against the pirate's throat, anger burning beneath his cold, silver gaze. Hook's eyes were wide with surprise as he held his hand and hook up in a sign of surrender. Where had the kid gotten that knife?!

"Whoa. Easy there, lad," Hook tried to sooth in a firm voice. "I know not having your love around can drive any man a little stir crazy but killing me isn't going to get Pan back here sooner. Now, why don't you put that knife back where you got it and we can talk about this like gentlemen."

"You don't remember," Felix accused, his voice low and seething.

Hook glanced off to the side and then back at the boy, his brows furrowing with confusion. "Remember what?"

"Rufio," Felix growled through gritted teeth, gripping the knife tighter and pressing it deeper into the pirate's throat.

Hook's expression remained quizzical for a moment longer before his eyes suddenly popped open with realization. He let out an audible groan and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you're STILL going on about that? That was over a hundred years ago, boy-o. You need to learn to let these things go. Besides, Lost Boys died in battle all the time. What made this one so damn special that after all this time you still want to see my head roll?"

Felix stared Hook dead in the eyes for a long minute before finally growling, "He was my brother."

The pirate's first reaction was immediately one of shock. He had never thought about the kid having a family outside of Pan and his psychotic little demons. His next reaction was of empathy, remembering how he, too, had lost his own brother at the hand of someone. Hook still held a little resentment towards Pan even though part of him knew it wasn't really the boy's fault his brother had died from drinking the waters on Neverland.

"You had a brother?" Hook asked after several moments of silence.

"I had two brothers," Felix corrected, the knife staying firmly in place. "Rufio was the one closest to my age, only two years younger. He came to Neverland shortly after I did. We were close growing up and he didn't want to be away from me."

Felix ducked his head a bit to hide the pain that suddenly flashed through them. When his eyes locked with Hook's again, they were cold once more.

"I had no idea he was your brother. I'm... sorry," Hook stumbled out, grimacing slightly at how little the apology seemed to matter. "I lost my older brother because of Neverland and have held a grudge against Pan ever since. I understand those feelings of anger very well and I would never want to cause them in someone else."

Hook paused, studying Felix's emotionless orbs, and let out a quiet sigh. "I see that's exactly what I've done though. I truly am sorry, lad. Rufio deserved better than that."

Felix's hard gaze softened ever so slightly and Hook could feel the pressure from the knife's blade begin to fade.

"Oh, my word!" A feminine voice suddenly called out.

Hook and Felix glanced over at the wooden shack on the pier just in time to see Ariel place her hands over her mouth in shock and then begin running towards them, stumbling a couple of times as she made her way across the sand. Eric followed quickly after, looking much more concerned about Ariel's mobility than the fight between the two males.

The side of Felix's lip twitched in annoyance and Hook rolled his eyes, huffing out an aggravated sigh.

"Oh, god," the pirate muttered.

Ariel finally managed to make it over to the two, stopping beside Felix and looking very concerned. Eric stopped directly behind her, placing his hand on her back to show that he was there with her.

"What in the world is going on here?" Ariel asked a bit breathless. "If you two are having a lovers' quarrel, this is no way to go about solving your differences."

Felix and Hook grimaced slightly at the woman's words.

"We're not lovers, lass," Hook corrected. "The boy's love is gone for a couple of days, so I was offering him some work on my ship."

Ariel looked over at Felix with wide eyes for a moment before suddenly giving him a sympathetic frown.

"You lost your love? Who is it?" She asked, her voice laced with sympathy at remembering her own days without Eric by her side.

Felix wasn't really fond of the way the red-head referred to Peter as his "love." It sounded too sweet, too innocent.

"It's Pan," Hook responded for the blonde, hoping to hurry this along. It was a little after noon and the pirate was getting hungry.

"Oh!" Ariel gasped, placing her hands on her face. "That's right! I should have known that! Eric and I always see you and Peter together when you come down here. Oh, you must miss him so much. I remember what it was like not having Eric with me. It was the absolute worst time of my life."

Ariel glanced over her shoulder at the dark-haired man behind her. Eric gave her a very gentle smile, rubbing his hand soothingly over her back. Hook and Felix exchanged a glance.

"That's why I was going to keep the boy occupied this afternoon," Hook responded. "Now, if you'll excuse us, lass, we-"

"Hey! Here's a crazy idea!" Ariel suddenly exclaimed, turning back to Felix with a grin. "Why don't you come over for lunch? You can tell us about your true love! Hook, you can come too! Oh, this will be so much fun! Eric and I don't entertain often enough."

Felix looked over at Hook, expecting the pirate to give some excuse for why they couldn't do that. Hook caught the blonde's eye but, apparently, didn't receive the message.

"Well, I haven't had a woman's home cooking in ages. I suppose the lad and I could stop by for a quick bite to eat," Hook responded, smirking a little at the disdain in Felix's eyes.

"Great!" Ariel exclaimed, suddenly wrapping her arms around Felix's. "This is so exciting! We all haven't been together since Neverland! ... Actually, I don't think any of us were ever together on Neverland either... but that's okay! Making new friends is very important. Come, come! We can have whatever you two want! Except fish. I may have legs but I'm still a mermaid!"

/

NOTE 2:

Yeah! Let's throw a bunch of characters that never really interact with each other together for lunch! That sounds like a great idea, Kisa!

This chapter was supposed to end with Hook and Felix going to the Jolly Roger but I guess they're making a pitstop along the way. I don't even know what was going on with Rufio. Let's just pretend this chapter and the next one never happened.


	11. Fish and Chips

Felix wished he could say that Ariel and Eric weren't nearly as aggravating as he had first anticipated but he was wrong. They were worse. Much worse.

As if the couple's constant exchanges of loving gazes and casual touches weren't bad enough, Ariel insisted on questioning Felix about every aspect of his and Peter's relationship. How they had first met, was it love at first sight, when did they realize they loved each other, had their feelings changed over the years, had they ever thought about children. Hook had practically choked on his rum at that.

It all made Felix feel very uncomfortable. He didn't even like talking about things like that with Peter himself. Felix and Peter silently accepted their relationship for whatever it was without question and didn't worry about the details of how or why too much.

Felix tried to answer the questions as vaguely as he could, giving Ariel enough information to satisfy her curiosity but still keeping things private between him and Peter. After the question regarding children, Felix excused himself, claiming he was beginning to feel a bit ill and needed some fresh air.

"Oh, no!" Ariel gasped, placing her hands on her cheeks and rising from her seat in a panic. "It was the salad wasn't it? I knew those carrots looked weird!"

Felix shook his head slightly, opening his mouth to respond when Eric suddenly spoke with a chuckle.

"Honey, I told you carrots are supposed to be orange."

"Well, they looked too orange!" Ariel immediately responded, casting another worried look over at Felix who was now standing by the back door.

Hook took a swig of the rum in his glass and glanced over at the boy. In the brief moment their eyes met, Hook could tell Felix needed to get out of there. This was worse than any family Christmas dinner Hook had ever been to.

The pirate cleared his throat, deciding to help the boy out just this once.

"You know lass, I'm having some love woes myself regarding Emma. Perhaps you could help me out with that."

Ariel's eyes immediately widened, her thoughts of Felix quickly fading into the background.

"Wait. You like Emma?" She asked in surprise.

"Aye. That I do," Hook responded a bit reluctantly, taking another drink from his glass. Good thing he had already downed two of those. He was going to need to be completely drunk if he was going to get through this meal.

Felix cast a grateful look at the pirate as Ariel began bombarding him with questions and thrilled gasps at this prospect of new love. The look Felix received back from Hook told him that he absolutely owed the captain one for this.

Out on the pier in the salty breeze away from the incessant chatter, Felix began to relax. He leaned onto the wooden fence overlooking the ocean and wondered what Peter would have thought about Ariel's curiosity. He probably would have thought of some clever way to spin the unwanted questions around so that Ariel would talk about herself and Eric more. Felix wasn't good enough with social interactions to be able to do that though.

He placed his elbow on one of the posts and rested his chin in his hand as he watched a tiny wooden ship sail across the waters several yards out.

"What a surprise. I didn't expect to see you out and about," a female voice Felix immediately recognized spoke from the beach beside the pier.

Felix looked over just in time to see a blonde woman with her hair tied up in a tight bun and wearing a green dress ease herself over the top of the fence. She stepped over to Felix casually with an almost sly smile and leaned with her back against the fence beside him.

"Hello, Tinkerbell," Felix greeted with a slight smirk. He knew he should dislike the fairy now that they were no longer on Neverland and she had betrayed him and Peter by working with Emma and the others but he had always appreciated her company. Besides, it wasn't like anything that had happened on Neverland mattered much here.

"I'm guessing Peter told you about his trip as well," Felix continued, the edge of his lips twitching.

"Actually, no," Tinkerbell responded, smirking a little at the boy's annoyance. "His trip is the talk of the town though. In all honesty, I think he only told Emma and Belle about it but they can't exactly keep a secret. There's no need to get your knickers in a knot over it."

Felix scoffed quietly but did feel a bit relieved by the fairy's words. It made sense that in such a small town like Storybrooke news of Peter's absence would spread like wildfire. He and Felix had become very well-known since their arrival from Neverland.

"I am thankful to see that you're not holed up in your room awaiting his return though," Tinkerbell continued. "It's nice to see you enjoying yourself without him around."

Felix almost scoffed again. He wasn't sure what the fairy saw that made her think he was enjoying himself. Perhaps she was mistaking tolerance for pleasure.

"Well, you're not sad and that's good," Tinkerbell remarked as if reading the boy's thoughts. "You never left his side on Neverland and not much has changed here. He's not our all-powerful, all-knowing ruler anymore, you know. You can have a life outside of him."

Felix's jaw clenched as he turned his gaze back out across the ocean. As clever as Tinkerbell was, the one thing she never understood was Felix's relationship with Peter. He guessed nobody really understood that though. Even the boys themselves. All Felix knew was that he had been happy in Neverland under Peter's command and he was happy here in Storybrooke just being by his side. Was it really so bad that he didn't care much for anything outside of Peter? As long as Felix was happy, wasn't that what was most important?

The last couple of days had shown Felix something he never anticipated though. Playing those games with Henry had been fun. Listening to Belle chatter about her books had been pleasant. Hearing Snow speak of her worries had been comforting somehow. Even hashing out old wounds with Rumplestiltskin and Hook had been interesting.

And Felix had done all of that without Peter by his side.

Perhaps Peter wasn't Felix's entire world anymore but he certainly was a very large part of it and he always would be. Felix had never wanted Peter because of his power. He wanted him simply because he was Peter and he made Felix's life that much more meaningful somehow. If Tinkerbell and the other residents couldn't understand that, well, only Peter's opinion had ever mattered to Felix anyway.

"What are you smiling about?" Tinkerbell suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow at the quirk of Felix's lips.

"I was just thinking about Peter," Felix responded, flashing Tinkerbell a tiny smirk.

The fairy rolled her eyes and let out a sigh that was more amused than annoyed. "Of course you were. That's all you ever think about."

"Because that's all that matters," Felix replied simply, meeting Tinkerbell's gaze straight on.  
The two just stared at each other for several long moments before Tinkerbell finally looked away, shaking her head a little in resignation.

"After all my years on Neverland, I never understood your relationship and I still don't. And that's okay," Tinkerbell quickly continued, meeting Felix's gaze once more with a slight smile. "Because it's not my relationship to understand. You two are clearly happy together and you always have been. I don't need fairy dust to tell me who you're meant to be with. It's been obvious since the first day I met you. I may not understand your relationship but I do understand love. And that's something you and Peter clearly feel for each other. Who am I to judge whether that's unhealthy or not?"

Felix and Tinkerbell just stood there in silence for a few more moments. Felix actually felt quite touched by the fairy's kind words but, of course, he couldn't say that aloud. Instead, he simply gave her a sincere and thankful little smile that hopefully said everything for him. The tiny smile Tinkerbell flashed back told him it had.

The door to the wooden shack suddenly creaked open. Tinkerbell looked over at the figure now standing in the doorway and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Felix turned slightly to see Hook smirking at the fairy.

"Well, hello there, Miss. Tink," he grinned, dipping his head dramatically in greeting.

"What do you want, pirate?" Tinkerbell demanded with a hiss.

"Ooh. Fiesty. I like that," Hook responded with a grin that wrinkled his nose. His good spirits had returned after his third glass of rum. "I'm afraid I'm just here for the lad though. We have some work to do on the Jolly Roger. You're welcome to come with us if you'd like, Miss. Tink."

Tinkerbell's lips twitched as she fought back a snarl at the pirate's mischievous grin.

"I think I'll pass," she responded coldly.

Hook shrugged.

"Suit yourself then. Come, boy-o. We best be off."

Hook bowed dramatically once more to Tinkerbell, eliciting a glare and a scoff from the fairy, before leading Felix around the shack and down on the coast. Felix could feel Tinkerbell's venomous stare on the two of them as they walked away.


	12. The Ways of Men

Felix should have known that when Hook said they had work to do on the Jolly Roger, what he really meant was that Felix had things to do while the captain himself just lounged in his chair drinking more rum. It was rather annoying but Felix figured he owed the pirate after he had saved him from Ariel's onslaught of questions.

Hook was in the middle of recounting a story from his younger days out on the open waters while Felix himself was busy mopping the wooden floor of the Captain's Quarters.

"I defeated those bastards with my bare hands," Hook was saying, gripping the glass of rum in his good hand. "This was long before I got me hook. I gave that scoundrel one good pop in the nose and sent him sailing right over the edge of the ship into the dark waters below. I never did get the booty from that island. However, I did get some later that evening at the local tavern." Hook wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and then chuckled when he caught sight of Felix's unamused expression.

A comfortable silence settled over the two as they listened to the sound of the mop sloshing water over the floor for several minutes. Hook swished the rum in his glass around a bit before holding it up to his lips to take a swig.

"So, tell me about this brother of yours," he began casually, resting the glass back on the chair's armrest. "Rufio. What was he like?"

Felix froze for the briefest of moments, his back to the pirate, before continuing on with his mopping as if the question hadn't phased him.

"He was about like any younger brothers, I would presume," Felix began, keeping his face turned away. "Reckless, impatient, stubborn, the attention span of a mouse. Peter reminds me a little of him."

Hook smirked at that.

"Was he like you?" The pirate asked suddenly.

Felix's brows furrowed with confusion as he turned slightly to meet the man's gaze.

"You know," Hook continued, taking another swig of rum. "Into lads."

Felix gave him an incredulous look.

"No. He liked girls."

Hook nodded his head as if it didn't really matter one way or the other and then shrugged.

"I just assumed all you lads on Neverland were into that sort of thing. I mean, why else would you all willingly live together on an island without any girls? That's worse than military ships that are out to sea for months at a time that are filled with nothing but men. Oh, the stories I could tell," Hook chuckled with a shake of his head. "I never participated in anything, mind you, but some of those gentlemen..."

Felix heaved a very quiet sigh and went back to his mopping. He didn't really care to hear anymore stories of the pirate's wild younger days.

"Although, I'm sure you could tell me some very interesting things yourself," Hook continued with a snicker. "So, how many of the lads were like you?"

Felix stopped mopping again to raise an eyebrow at the pirate. Was he seriously asking about the Lost Boys' sex lives?

"I don't know. I never asked," Felix responded.

"You never asked?" Hook repeated, not sounding convinced.

It was Felix's turn to shrug. "Not all of the Lost Boys were older. Most of them were still children."

"Alright, I'll give you that," Hook conceded. "But out of the older boys, did you ever...?"

Felix held the mop in his hands as he waited for the pirate to finish his statement.

"You know. Did you ever find any of them... appealing?" Hook finally settled on after a moment.

Felix wrinkled his nose ever so slightly as he turned back to his mopping.

"Peter is the only one I was ever with... On Neverland," he added with a smirk.

"Ooh! Do tell, lad," Hook encouraged with a wickedly curious grin but Felix merely shook his head. "Were you ever with a girl?"

"Once," Felix replied with another shrug. "Didn't care for it."

Hook chuckled at that. "Well, whatever gets your ship sailing, lad."

A moment of silence fell over the two before Felix decided to break it.

"Peter is much better than any of them ever were anyway. He's a hard bottom but I like that."

Hook immediately let out a loud groan of disgust and got to his feet.

"And here we were having such a pleasant conversation about the ways of men and you go and ruin it by brining up something like that. Nice job, lad."

Felix actually chuckled quietly as the pirate walked over to the large, wooden cabinet across the room. He pulled open the doors to reveal bottles upon bottles of brown rum. He picked one out and held it up in his hands before turning a glare onto the blonde.

"Now I'm going to have to drink this entire bottle to knock those last images out of my head. I hope you're happy, boy-o." Hook closed the cabinet doors and walked back over to his chair, ignoring the grin that had spread across Felix's face.

Silence fell upon the two once more as the captain propped his boots back up onto his desk and poured himself another tall glass of rum. Several minutes passed as they listened to the mop sloshing water across the floor.

"I do apologize for what happened to your brother though," Hook began, his tone no longer teasing. "I would have never touched him if I had known he was someone dear to you. His death was not the product of ill will towards you or him. It was just the nature of the battle. I know what it's like losing a brother to circumstances surrounding that cursed island and I would never want to cause that kind of pain in another. For that, I am truly sorry, mate."

Felix had listened quietly, continuing his mopping as the captain spoke. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the words, they just seemed rather pointless after all this time. Apologies wouldn't bring Rufio back.

It was slightly comforting to hear Hook bring up the loss of his own brother but only slightly. Felix didn't particularly care to relate to the pirate. Especially in such a personal way. He did appreciate the effort though. Perhaps Hook had changed a little over the years. Felix could never imagine holding a serious conversation with the pirate fifty years ago. He wondered vaguely if Emma might have something to do with it.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter now," Felix began after another moment. "As careless as he was, it was only a matter of time. Thank you for the sentiment though."

Hook studied the boy in silence before swishing the rum around in his glass and taking another sip. Felix suddenly stopped mopping and turned a bit to look at the captain more clearly.

"You know, you'd probably have more luck with Emma if you didn't drink so much," he drawled with a slight smirk.

Hook narrowed his eyes at the blonde but Felix quickly continued.

"And if you could show her this more serious side of you. You're... somewhat charming when you're not being vulgar," he offered.

The pirate cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head, briefly wondering if he should make a joke about the comment or let it slide. He quickly decided it just wouldn't feel right not to tease the lad about it.

"I'm charming, huh?" Hook asked with a devilish grin. The way Felix rolled his eyes told him the lad was inwardly regretting ever saying anything at all.

Hook's grin widened as he got to his feet and sauntered over to the boy. "You better be careful about saying things like that, boy-o. Pan will get jealous and start gunning for me. Although..."

Hook placed his hand on the wall beside Felix's head, caught the blonde's shirt with his hook and tugged him closer. "Your boyfriend isn't exactly here right now. We could do absolutely ANYTHING and nobody would ever have to know. I've been told that I'm VERY good."

Felix wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of alcohol on the pirate's breath before smirking in response.

"I would actually prefer Eric."

Hook immediately narrowed his eyes and released his hold on Felix.

"What?" He demanded.

Felix shrugged. "He has an attractive face."

"My face is attractive," Hook responded defensively, glaring at the boy.

"I wouldn't know. I can't exactly see it through the haze of the alcohol."

Hook opened his mouth to argue but then immediately snapped it shut, a smirk rising to his lips as he shook his hook at the boy.

"Mouthy as always I see. You know, I'm starting to think it's the other way around. Perhaps Pan gets it from you."

Felix's smirk widened a little as he merely shrugged.

Just then, a light knock was heard and the door to the Captain's Quarters was pushed open a crack. A brunette woman Felix quickly recognized as Belle, peeked her head around the door. She smiled when her eyes fell upon the blonde and pushed the door open wider.

"Oh, Felix. There you are. I went by Emma's place earlier to see if you wanted to hang out with me again today and Snow said you had come down here to the docks. Then Ariel said you and Hook came over here to the ship."

"Thank god. A lass," Hook cut in with a sigh of relief, turning to the woman. "You think I have an attractive face don't you. The lad doesn't think I'm attractive."

Belle furrowed her brows a bit in confusion, glancing from one male to the next before shrugging.

"I suppose. I mean, you're not my type but I'm sure somebody out there would find you appealing."

Felix couldn't stop the snicker from escaping his lips. Hook turned his head to glare at the boy.

"Oh, look who I'm talking to," the pirate scoffed, motioning towards Belle. "You're in love with an old man who just so happens to be the Dark One and you," he turned to Felix and then smirked. "Well, I don't even have to go there."

Felix gave him an unamused expression.

"Alright, alright," Belle quickly interjected, holding her hands up. "I think that's quite enough. Felix, why don't you come back to the library with me? You can help me sort out another shipment of new books that just came in."

Felix glanced over at Hook before leaning the mop's handle against the wall and taking a step towards the woman. Hook's hand suddenly caught his wrist.

"Whoa there, lad," he said firmly, looking over at Belle. "Felix is MY cabin boy. He doesn't want to spend his afternoon in a boring old library."

"YOUR cabin boy?" Belle asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Felix is MY library assistant."

Hook scoffed. "No offense, lass, but the boy doesn't want to waste his life simply reading about adventures. He wants to live them!"

"THIS is living adventures?" Belle asked, motioning around at the dingy room. "He's mopping,"

"That's what cabin boys do. It's in preparation for the adventures. You can't sail the high seas with a dirty ship," Hook responded, giving the woman another scoff.

The two just glared at each other for a few moments as Felix glanced between them with a raised eyebrow. This was certainly unexpected. Felix had never had people fight over him before.

"He WANTS to help me in the library," Belle was saying firmly.

"No, he WANTS to help me on the ship," Hook countered, still gripping Felix's wrist.

"Why in the world would Felix willingly choose to spend his afternoon with a drunken pirate that does nothing but recount tales of his wild nights with local harlots?" Belle demanded.

Felix snickered at that.

"You wouldn't understand. You're a lass," Hook retorted, shooting a glare at the boy.

"Oh, I understand perfectly," Belle continued. "You need somebody to tell all your little pirate stories to but Felix isn't like you. He's gentle and sensitive-"

"Gentle?!" Hook spat, almost laughing. "Tell that to my hand! Oh, wait. You can't because his boyfriend chopped it off!"

"That has nothing to do with Felix," Belle responded calmly, shaking her head. "Besides, all your little fights happened decades ago. Felix and Peter are different now."

"This coming from the woman that has thrown them out of her library, how many times?" Hook asked, looking at Felix.

"Six times?" Felix stated uncertainly.

"Six times! And you're going to stand there and lecture me about how much they've-"

"Hey, hey. What's all the yelling about?" A voice suddenly spoke from behind Belle.

The three looked over to see Emma standing in the doorway with one hand on the doorframe and a suspicious expression on her face.

"Miss. Swan," Hook purred, giving her a devilish smile. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you. I've just been keeping the young lad's mind occupied so he wouldn't get too lonely without Pan." The pirate patted Felix on the shoulder warmly. Felix raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

Emma glanced from one person to the next, clearly unconvinced, before deciding to let it pass.

"I was just looking for Felix. It's almost dinner time and I wanted to see if he would like to come over and eat with us again," the woman said, looking to the boy for an answer.

"Sure," Felix responded, shrugging one shoulder a little. Yesterday's meal hadn't been nearly as unpleasant as he had first anticipated and he actually didn't mind Emma and her annoying little family that much.

Emma smiled. "Great! You guys can come too if you'd like. We usually have leftovers anyway."

"It would be my honor, Miss. Swan," Hook responded with a grin, bowing slightly. Emma rolled her eyes at the pirate's dramatics.

"Ooh! I'll invite Rumple!" Belle exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight. "I'm sure he would love to have a family dinner!"

Belle must have sensed the way Felix tensed at the suggestion because she quickly turned to him, grasping his hand and smiling warmly.

"Don't worry, Felix. I'm sure everything will go much better than it did yesterday. Families have to get along at some point."


End file.
